The Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) has issued a first-degree warning for intense rainfall in southern Lubuskie province, predicting up to 45 mm of rain from Sunday morning until Monday.
The rainfall is affecting several counties, with a high likelihood (80%) of further downpours. The situation is critical in the Silesian province, where river levels have exceeded alarm thresholds at 24 locations.
Flooding and power Outages in Silesia
In Silesia province, over 4,700 incidents have been reported since Friday due to heavy rain. The southern town of Bielsko-Biała and its surrounding areas are among the hardest hit.
Firefighters have been deployed to pump water and many residents are without power. Railway traffic has been severely affected, with landslides and flooded tracks causing delays and cancellations on key routes.
One of the most severe incidents occurred in Bielsko-Biała itself, where a wastewater treatment plant was flooded. Several roads, including the A1 motorway, have been closed due to flooding, causing widespread travel chaos.
Emergency response and evacuations
Local authorities in various parts of the Silesian and the Opole provinces in southwest Poland have issued flood warnings and watches. Several municipalities are on high alert as water levels continue to rise. The Racibórz Dolny dry reservoir on the Oder River was activated on Sunday to mitigate the flood risk.
In response to the worsening situation, emergency services, including firefighters and military personnel, have been mobilized. Helicopters have been deployed in Opole Province to rescue residents stranded on rooftops due to rising water levels.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on a visit to Kłodzko has said that one person has drowned in Kłodzko county, south-western Poland.
Wider impact across Europe
The severe weather has not been limited to Poland. Austria, the Czech Republic, and Romania have also been grappling with heavy rains and flooding. In Austria, a state of emergency was declared in Lower Austria as the Danube River overflowed its banks, leading to evacuations.
The Czech Republic is facing similar challenges, with rivers in Moravia and Silesia rising rapidly, prompting evacuations and power outages affecting over 200,000 people.
As meteorologists predict more rain in the coming days, authorities across the region are urging residents to remain vigilant and avoid unnecessary travel.
