As per reports, significant disruptions are expected to continue on Thursday (04 January) in Germany due to prevalent weather conditions in Europe.
• Red alerts for heavy rainfall, strong winds and potential flooding have been issued for parts of Hessen, Bayern, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Thuringia, Nordrhein-Westfalen, and Sachsen-Anhalt.
• The complete list of weather alerts for all provinces in Germany can be accessed from the interactive map on the official website of the Meteorological Department of Germany (https://www.dwd.de/EN/weather/warnings/warnings_node.html).
• Melting snow and persistent rains have caused rivers in the north and west of Germany to overflow their banks, leading to significant flooding in various regions.
• The situation in Lower Saxony is critical, with North Rhine-Westphalia, Thuringia, and Saxony-Anhalt affected by heavy flooding. Evacuation orders have been issued in several areas.
• In affected areas of Bremen and Lower Saxony, water levels show the highest of the three flood warning levels, indicating the possibility of flooding larger areas and individual properties, streets, and cellars.
• Supplies of sandbags for dike protection are running low in Lower Saxony. The state has requested help from the European Union and received support from mobile dikes and aid workers from France.
• Around 100,000 helpers are deployed in Lower Saxony, particularly in the districts of Oldenburg, Celle, Emsland, Osterholz, Heidekreis, and Verden. Emergency services and volunteers are working to install barriers against flooding using sandbags and barrels filled with water.
• The flood situation has led to road closures in affected areas. In some places, compulsory schooling is suspended due to severe flooding.
• There are concerns about potential evacuations, with areas like Achterdiek in Oldenburg and the Timmersloh district in Bremen particularly affected by flooding.
• France has offered flood containment barriers and vehicles, while pumps from The Netherlands, Czechia, and Slovakia are expected to aid in flood control.
