Flooding in Germany falling in some parts after days of rainfall
Three German states hit by heavy rains and floods reported a mixed picture on Saturday following heavy precipitation in the last few days.
Only isolated showers are expected in some parts of flooded Lower Saxony on Saturday, with more rain seen on Sunday and Monday, but this should not lead to a rise in water levels, a meteorologist for the German Weather Service (DWD) predicted.
In the eastern state of Saxony, flooding of the Elbe River continues to recede, with the water level on Saturday morning at 5.30 metres, down from 5.92 metres seen on Friday but still well above the normal 2 metres, according to an overview from the Saxony's Flood Centre.
In Dresden, the state capital, as well as in Schöna on the Czech border and downstream in Riesa, the alert level was still 2, but hydrologists expect water levels to continue to fall. There were no more flood warnings for the other river basins in Saxony.
But in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, overnight rainfall was heavier than expected, leading to rising water levels in some rivers, as the areas were already saturated. In the southern part of the state the water was nearly half a metre above the highest alert level of 2 metres.
Over the New Year in Lower Saxony, the state is expected to see widespread precipitation again, mostly between one and five litres of rain per square metre, the service said on Saturday. Larger amounts of rainfall are not expected until Tuesday.
Hunting is currently prohibited in flood areas of the Heidekreis district north of Hanover, the district announced on Saturday. The prohibition is limited to an emergency period lasting the duration of the flood situation and will be lifted again at short notice.
The district appealed to the population to avoid the flood areas and the game's retreat areas.
An emergency period is declared when game cannot find natural food for a longer period of time due to special weather conditions, the district said. During this time, game is protected from hunting and fed.
The flood situation remains critical in many parts of Lower Saxony, with some areas still above the highest reporting level and others facing possible major flooding, according to a situation report issued by the State Agency for Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation (NLWKN) on Saturday morning.
But in Münden in the southern part of the state and Intschede near Bremen water levels have already peaked and are falling.
A spokeswoman from the situation centre announced on Saturday morning that the overall flood situation was stagnating, and there had been no special incidents overnight. Police situation centres in Lower Saxony also reported a relatively quiet night.
Some officials, such as those from the Göttingen situation centre, said the situation was easing. It had remained dry, so it was assumed that the situation would calm down and water levels would fall.
