Beautiful city in Europe at risk of being underwater in days

A beautiful European city could be underwater in days as an urgent flood warning is in place.

Following days of heavy rain in the German and Austrian Danube baisins, officials in Slovakia’s capital Bratislava are worrying about a significant rise in the water level in the Slovak section of the world-famous river, which could lead to the worst flooding in the city in years.

The Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute enforced the current flood warning, but experts expect it to be exceeded in certain areas, including the borough of Devínska Nová Ves-Morava.

Several areas in Bratislava near the Danube River and its left tributary Morava River have been closed to the public amid flooding fears.

The local police are using social media to keep the population in Bratislava up to date with the emergency, and have urged the public to avoid the closed areas. 

The crisis team at the Gabčíkovo Waterworks has also held talks.

The high alert comes after floods in southern Germany killed five people on the weekend – including a firefighter who was trying to rescue people trapped in a building.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday, as he visited affected areas: “We cannot neglect the task of halting man-made climate change.”

Bavarian Premier Markus Soeder, who was with Mr Scholz on his visit, highlighted the severity of the catastrophe, saying: “Events are happening here that have never happened before.”

The floods in southern Germany have forced the evacuation of thousands of people and created widespread travel disruption in areas less impacted by the floods.

In Austria, flooding prompted authorities to close the entire 217-mile-long stretch of the Danube after its banks burst in Linz, the country’s largest city.