Eastern Germany is bracing for flooding as heavy rainfall in its Central European neighbours threatens to spill over the German border.
Authorities in the state of Saxony said on Sunday that the water level of the Elbe River in Schöna, near the border with the Czech Republic, is expected to peak at 7.50 meters on Tuesday afternoon, enough to trigger the highest alert level in the region.
The Elbe has already risen to 5.59 metres in Schöna, far above the average height of 1.58 metres. It is expected to be 6 metres on Sunday evening.
If water levels rise to the highest alert level, dams could overflow or break, the state flood control center said, potentially flooding built-up areas and creating a life-threatening situation.
The state capital of Dresden, located on the Elbe, could be threatened by flooding that has hit low-lying areas in the Czech Republic, Poland and Austria.
The city’s historic city centre will be protected from rising water levels by mobile dams from Monday.
Authorities in Dresden are busy removing parts of a bridge that collapsed into the Elbe on Wednesday, in preparation for expected flooding.
The first demolition work was completed on Saturday, the city’s environmental agency reported.
