Torrential rains continue to ravage central Europe, bringing devastating floods that have claimed eight lives and forced thousands to evacuate their homes.
A low-pressure system named Boris has triggered severe weather across the region, from Austria to Romania, causing the worst flooding in nearly three decades in parts of the Czech Republic and Poland. Heavy rain and strong winds are expected to persist until Monday, though conditions eased slightly in Romania on Sunday.
The Czech Republic has been particularly hard hit, with rivers bursting their banks and widespread damage reported after days of relentless rainfall.
In addition to the deaths, thousands of homes have been damaged, bridges swept away, and around 250,000 households—mostly in the Czech Republic—have experienced power outages. On Sunday, a person drowned in southwestern Poland, and a firefighter involved in rescue efforts was killed in Austria. Romania, which saw the worst flooding on Saturday, reported two more fatalities, bringing the country's weekend death toll to four.
Lower Austria, surrounding Vienna, declared a disaster zone following the death of the firefighter and warned against non-essential travel. Meanwhile, in Poland, a bridge collapsed in the historic town of Glucholazy, near the Czech border, prompting local officials to order evacuations. Another bridge in Stronie Slaskie collapsed after a dam burst, according to the Polish weather institute.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who visited the flood-stricken areas, announced the government’s intention to declare a state of disaster and request European Union aid.
In the Czech Republic, rescue teams were searching for three people whose car was swept into the river Staric near Lipova-lazne, about 235 kilometers (146 miles) east of Prague. The region has seen nearly 500 millimeters (19.7 inches) of rainfall since Wednesday. Reuters footage captured floodwaters rushing through Lipova-lazne and Jesenik, causing extensive damage.
Emergency services have evacuated more than 10,000 people in the Czech Republic, using helicopters to rescue those stranded in hard-hit areas like Lipova-lazne. Fire service officials reported that efforts are ongoing to assist those displaced by the disaster.
In Hungary, officials in Budapest raised forecasts for the Danube River to rise above 8.5 meters (27.9 feet) later this week, nearing the 2013 record of 8.91 meters (29.2 feet).