Severe storms are battering Central Europe and are now reaching Italy. Warnings for heavy rain, strong winds and flooding have been issued for much of the country.
Flooding has already been reported in the central city of Pescara, while weather warnings from Italy’s meteorological service extend from the northern coast of Emilia-Romagna to the far south.
The warnings come as floods have devastated parts of PolandCzech Republic, Romania and Austria this week, killing at least 21 people.
Authorities in Croatia, Hungary and Slovakia are also warning of flooding in the coming days.
The severe flooding was caused by Storm Boris, which brought large amounts of rain and snow over the weekend.
More than 5,000 soldiers have been deployed to help people in South Polandincluding the 40,000 residents evacuated from the town of Nysa.
In some places in the region, the floodwaters are receding and in others they are spreading. The extent of the damage is clearly visible in places like Glucholazy.
The city’s main bridge collapsed after being damaged by the river’s swollen waters, leaving many streets covered in a thick layer of mud.
Polish police confirmed that at least six people were killed and warned against “false information” after media reports put the total death toll at more than a dozen.
The country’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk has declared a month-long state of emergency, with the worst flooding expected in the city of Wroclaw on Wednesday.
Areas along the Czech-Polish border are among the worst hit areas, where 15,000 people have been evacuated Czech Republic also.
According to local NGO Člověk v tísn, the country is experiencing the worst flooding in more than 27 years.
Ostrava is one of the hardest hit cities after the Oder River burst its banks on Tuesday following heavy rainfall.
The water level on the Danube continues to rise rapidly in Slovakia And Hungarywhile the Slovakian capital Bratislava and the Hungarian capital Budapest are preparing for possible flooding.
Emergency services and volunteers, supported in some places by the military, are also working day and night to protect low-lying settlements in the region.
According to local media reports, Austrian authorities have closed parts of the Danube to shipping due to high water levels along the vital waterway.
The Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service has warned that the river could experience an “extremely rare” increase in water level, with confirmed plans to install flood barriers if necessary.
In ItalyThe country’s National Civil Protection has also issued a yellow alert for nearly 50 regions tomorrow. There is a risk of storms, landslides and flooding.
According to the BBC weather forecasts, the regions of Emilia-Romagna and Marche are the areas of greatest concern.
The region could see one to two months’ worth of rain in the next three days alone, and there are serious concerns about the potential for flooding.
The Italian Air Force Meteorological Service has already issued a red weather warning for Wednesday.
Firefighters in Pescara, Abruzzo, say they have received more than 200 calls for help after heavy rainfall caused flooding.
In RomaniaMore rain is expected in the eastern Carpathians, putting towns and villages in the already hard-hit Galati and Vaslui provinces at risk.
Extreme rainfall events are becoming more frequent and severe in Central Europe, as in much of the world.
Although the events in Central Europe fit the expectation of more extreme rainfall in a warming world, it is not yet possible to quantify precisely to what extent climate change plays a role in this.
To know for sure, a full scientific analysis of the natural and human influences is needed, which can take weeks or months.
Climate scientists have been warning for years about extreme rainfall like this, which can occur as the Earth warms.
A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, leading to heavier rainfall.
Warmer oceans also lead to increased evaporation, which creates storm systems.
For every 1C increase in Earth’s average temperature, the atmosphere can hold about 7% more moisture.
