More rain expected in flooded areas in Germany
More heavy rainfall was expected on Friday in some areas in Germany already affected by flooding, the country's weather service DWD said.
Some areas in the western state of North Rhine Westphalia and in the Harz Mountains in the centre of the country would see continuous rain all day Friday and into Saturday, the DWD said. Up to 40 millimetres of rain could fall within 24 hours in these regions.
The situation in the north-western state of Lower Saxony was tense as areas along the Aller, Leine and Weser rivers in the southern and central parts of the state had already flooded, according to the state's Department for Waterway, Coastal and Nature Conservation (NLWKN).
The state government plans to give an update on the flood situation at a press conference on Friday morning.
Lower Saxony's Premier Stephan Weil said on Thursday that there had never been flooding of this magnitude in the area before. "Experts have been warning for a long time that the increasingly frequent extreme weather events are linked to climate change," he said.
The city of Oldenburg said there was an ongoing so-called "extraordinary event," enabling districts to access emergency services more easily.
The all-clear has not yet been given to the north-west in Bremen, either.
Water levels were easing on the Elbe in the eastern city of Dresden. On Thursday afternoon, the water rose to 5.92 metres - just below the 6-metre mark, which would trigger the second-highest alert level. The level fell overnight.
A water level of 2 metres is normal in the Elbe in Dresden.
