Europe weather chaos - live: Italy braces for Storm Boris flooding as Portugal wildfires blaze and deaths rise
Extreme weather is sweeping across Europe with catastrophic flooding caused by Storm Boris that may reach Italy while five thousand firefighters are struggling to contain wildfires in Portugal.
Hot, dry conditions behind the fire outbreaks in Portugal came while downpours were concurrently causing flooding in central Europe.
Heavy rain is expected over much of Italy over the next few days, with the region of Emilia-Romagna and Lazio under yellow weather alerts.
Six people have died, including four firefighters, in northern Portugal and an unknown number of people have been forced to flee their homes.
The death toll from the severe floods in central Europe, which began over the weekend, rose to at least 21 on Tuesday, with seven confirmed fatalities in Romania. Poland, Austria, and the Czech Republic were also among the hardest hit.
Some 100 fires in Portugal have been reported by national authorities causing more than 50 people to be injured.
Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, declared a state of natural disaster across the affected region of southern Poland.
Key points
81-year-old woman dies in Austria
British Foreign Office warnings
Portugal’s prime minister says ‘very difficult times ahead'
1,700 police officers and 600 soldiers deployed in Austria
Tuesday 17 September 2024 17:06 , Rachel Hagan
According to an interim flood report from the Ministry of the Interior in Austria, up to 1,700 police officers are deployed in Lower Austria.
There are also several canyoning experts, four drone crews and four police helicopters as well as “air police who have been on duty 24 hours a day for days.” On Tuesday, 600 soldiers from the federal army were deployed in Lower Austria. Another 330 were on standby, the Ministry of Defense announced.
A Czech town faces hard recovery after massive flooding
Tuesday 17 September 2024 17:22 , Karel Janicek
Torrential rains have gone, flooding waters have been receding and the sun was shining again in the Czech town of Bohumin. But Zuzana Kublova was not in a mood to enjoy it.The house where Kublova’s family lives was inundated as was almost this entire town in the worst flooding in years that spread at a broad swath of Central Europe.After three days in safety upstairs, without power, running water or a cellphone signal, she stepped down to face a scene of destruction.“The entire ground floor is flooded, so all of us seven people and two dogs have to live together on the first floor without electricity and water,” Kublova told The Associated Press on Tuesday.“And don’t even ask how we go to the toilet,” she said. “It has happened again, something that had happened to us two or three times in the past.”The town was submerged by a flood wave brought by the Oder River that was fueled by record rains in northeast Czech Republic in recent days.Bohumin was submerged because it’s among the places that still don’t have an adequate protection against repeated flooding in this part of the country.
Polish minister says climate change to blame for floods
Tuesday 17 September 2024 11:50 , Rachel Hagan
A Polish minister has said the extreme floods are not normal and blamed climate change for the devastation.
Urszula Sara Zielińska, deputy climate minister, told the BBC that more than 3,000 people have been evacuated across the country already.
She said after a devastating flood in 1997 it was said that natural disasters of that scale would “happen once every thousand years” but now we are seeing it happen just 26 years later.
Urszula said flooding of this severity is not normal and that “there is a clear cause to that and it’s called climate change.”
Polish train services disrupted
Tuesday 17 September 2024 11:54 , Rachel Hagan
Across Poland, several train routes have been suspended due to the flooding. Some services are still running with shortened routes and passengers have been advised to check their route before setting off.
British Foreign Office warnings
Tuesday 17 September 2024 12:05 , Rachel Hagan
The British Foreign Office currently has the following warnings in place:
Austria (east): Road closures and disruptions to public transport may occur in affected areas. Check road traffic information and public transport updates from Austrian Railways and Vienna public transport before you travel.
Czech Republic: Heavy rain and flooding is causing severe disruption, especially in southern and eastern parts of the country.
Poland: Heavy rain and flooding is causing severe disruption in the Lower Silesia (Dolnośląskie), Silesian (Śląskie) and Opolskie Voivodeships [counties] in southwest Poland. Check local conditions before you travel and follow the instructions of the Polish authorities if you are in these areas.
Romania: Heavy rain and flooding is causing disruption in eastern Romania. Check local conditions before you travel and follow the instructions of the Romanian authorities if you are in these areas.
What are my rights as a traveller?
Tuesday 17 September 2024 12:13 , Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent
The Independent has asked the main airlines flying to and from the region – British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air – whether they will allow passengers to fly home earlier without penalty.
Ryanair said: “Passengers have the option of making changes to their bookings online up to 2.5 hours prior to the scheduled departure time of the original or new flight.
“If a passenger is away or needs to return urgently, they can do so by contacting our customer service team who will try help any passengers looking to return as soon as possible.”
EasyJet said normal policies will be imposed – with a change fee and any difference in fare imposed. Such costs may be recoverable from a travel insurer, depending on the circumstances.
I have a flight booked to the area and want to switch destination or postpone my trip. Can I?
The airlines have been asked that question and again, in the absence of responses you must assume that you would lose some or all of your cash. The exception is if you are booked on a package holiday and the trip cannot go ahead as planned because of flooding. In that case, the organiser of the trip should provide a full refund.
I have a rental property booked – will I be able to claim a refund?
That depends on the terms that you agreed with the property owner, and whether they will allow any latitude because of the floods.
81-year-old woman dies in Austria
Tuesday 17 September 2024 12:24 , Rachel Hagan
Details are beginning to emerge about some of the 19 people who have been killed by the floods.
An 81-year-old woman from Würmla in Austria is the fifth person to die in the current flooding in Lower Austria.
According to chief inspector Johann Baumschlager she died in her flooded house and her body was discovered by emergency services on Tuesday morning.
Field hospital to be built in Nysa, Poland
Tuesday 17 September 2024 12:53 , Rachel Hagan
A field hospital is to be set up in the Polish city of Nysa where some of the worst flooding has happened.
Gazeta Wyborcza reports that Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, deputy prime minister, said at a conference in Wrocław: “We have made a decision to launch a field hospital and set it up in Nysa.”
He said it will be fully operational later today.
Overnight, volunteers helped rescue workers heave sandbags to build up the broken embankment around the city of more than 40,000 people in southwestern Poland.
Croatia braces for ‘extremely rare’ rise in river levels
Tuesday 17 September 2024 13:23 , Rachel Hagan
Croatia is preparing for potentially dangerously high river levels because of heavy rainfall across the region.
The Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service warns the Danube could experience an “extremely rare” water increase and plans are in place to put up flood barriers if necessary.
The BBC reports that experts expect the Danube, Europe’s second-longest river, to hit a record high although they don’t think it will burst its banks.
Latest photos from the floods
Tuesday 17 September 2024 13:53 , Rachel Hagan
Weather warnings in place across Italy
Tuesday 17 September 2024 14:30 , Rachel Hagan
The Italian Meteorological Service has issued warnings for heavy rainfall, strong winds and intense storms from the early hours of this morning, lasting until Thursday.
The alerts stretch from northern coast of Emilia-Romagna to the south of the country.
Poland’s historic city readies buses for possible evacuations
Tuesday 17 September 2024 15:00 , Rachel Hagan
The city of Wroclaw has readied buses for possible evacuations and dropped sandbags from military helicopters to reinforce river embankments amid flooding fears.
The city said it expected the flood wave to peak there around Friday, though some had predicted that would happen sooner.
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with a crisis team early Tuesday and said there are contradictory forecasts from meteorologists.
Portugal’s prime minister says ‘very difficult times ahead'
Tuesday 17 September 2024 15:51 , Rachel Hagan
Portugal’s prime minister, Luís Montenegro, cancelled all of his engagements today in response to the fires and said the country faced “some very difficult times over the next few days”.
An extreme fire warning has been extended until Thursday night.
Warsaw Zoo appeals for items to protect animals
Tuesday 17 September 2024 16:31 , Rachel Hagan
Warsaw’s Zoo has made a desperate appeal to help its animals after Storm Boris floods ravaged the city.
In a post on Facebook, they said “defenseless creatures’ fate is fully dependent on us - people.” They will be arranging collections at the town hall and from the Gdanski Bridge and have requested people bring wet and dry food, clean blankets and big towels.
21 killed in flooding across Central Europe
Tuesday 17 September 2024 17:30 , Rachel Hagan
Twenty-one people have been killed across Poland, Hungary, Romania and Austria as Storm Boris continues to rip through the region.
Flooding killed seven people in Romania, where waters have receded since the weekend, six in Poland, five in Austria, and three in the Czech Republic. Tens of thousands of Czech and Polish households were still without power or fresh water.
Three firefighters dead in Portugal while heading to a job
Tuesday 17 September 2024 18:30 , Rachel Hagan
Three firefighters from the Vila Nova de Oliveirinha, Tábua, fire brigade died on Tuesday as they were responding to a call of a fire in that area, the mayor has said.
The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, expressed his “deep dismay” at the deaths and sent his condolences to their families.
A statement published on the Portuguese Presidency’s website said: “The President of the Republic is deeply dismayed by the accident involving a fire engine, causing the death of three firefighters, and expresses his deepest condolences to their families, as well as to the Oliveirinha Fire Department.”
81-year-old woman dies in Austria
Tuesday 17 September 2024 19:30 , Rachel Hagan
Details are beginning to emerge about some of the 19 people who have been killed by the floods.
An 81-year-old woman from Würmla in Austria is the fifth person to die in the current flooding in Lower Austria.
According to chief inspector Johann Baumschlager she died in her flooded house and her body was discovered by emergency services on Tuesday morning.
Football league declares minute of silence for fire victims
Tuesday 17 September 2024 20:30 , Rachel Hagan
The Portuguese Professional Football League (LPFP) has declared a minute of silence in games at the weekend in solidarity with the victims of the fires.
A statement said: “The LPFP expresses all the solidarity of professional football towards all those who are being, in some way, affected by this tragedy, also praising the tireless efforts of firefighters, security forces and all the volunteers who have worked hard to combat this scourge.”
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) will also hold a minute of silence at all of its competition matches from today until Sunday also in memory of the victims of the fires.
65 fires still raging
Tuesday 17 September 2024 21:30 , Rachel Hagan
The national commander of emergency and civil protection André Fernandes said that 105 incidents were recorded from midnight to 12:30 and that 65 fires were still raging.
A total of 5,321 operators, with the support of 1,629 vehicles and 24 aerial resources, are involved in fighting the fires in Portugal.
Some of the roads closed include Motorways 1 (A1) in Aveiro Sul and Estarreja, the A13 in Coimbra, the Complementary Itinerary 2 (IC2) with the A25 junction, the A24 in Castro Daire and Vila Pouca de Aguiar and the A43 and A41 junction in Gondomar.
Budapest and Poland’s Wroclaw reinforce river banks ahead of more flooding
Tuesday 17 September 2024 22:30 , Vanessa Gera
Soldiers dropped sandbags from military helicopters to reinforce river embankments and evacuated residents as the worst flooding in years spread Tuesday to a broad swath of Central Europe, taking lives and destroying homes.
Other places are now bracing for the flood waves, including two Central European gems: Budapest, the Hungarian capital on the Danube River, and Wroclaw, a city in southwestern Poland on the Oder River, its old town filled with architectural treasures.
Hungary’s government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán deployed soldiers to reinforce barriers along the Danube, and thousands of volunteers assisted in filling sandbags in dozens of riverside settlements.
Countries need to work together on flooding, says expert
Tuesday 17 September 2024 23:30 , Rachel Hagan
Countries need to work together in responding to floods, an expert has told the BBC.
Dr Carmen Solana, Associate Professor in Volcanology and Risk Communication at the University of Portsmouth said floods, such as the ones that have hit Europe this week, are becoming more frequent and in Europe there is some cooperation and agreements, but “there is a need of even more international coordinated responses.”
One of the deceased a 46-year-old Austrian man
01:30 , Rachel Hagan
A man who was found dead on Monday afternoon in Austria was identified on Tuesday as a 46-year-old Viennese, police spokeswoman Manuela Weinkirn said.
According to Weinkirn, the man was recovered from the Danube near Marbach on Tuesday afternoon.
The latest from Portugal
02:30 , Joseph Wilson
Among the hardest hit areas is the district of Aveiro, south of the northern city of Porto, but blazes were also raging out of control in other wooded areas. Portuguese state broadcaster RTP showed images of houses burnt to the ground and smoke billowing over charred terrain in the area of Castro de Aire.Ground units were supported by Portuguese water-dropping aircraft. Fellow European Union members Spain, France Italy and Greece have committed to providing eight more planes to help local forces.“The EU stands with Portugal as it battles major wildfires,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a message on X. “I thank France, Greece, Italy and Spain for their rapid reaction. This is EU solidarity at its best.”Still, televised images showed some residents wielding tree branches and buckets of water to try to save their homes from encroaching fires.
A Czech town faces hard recovery after massive flooding
04:30 , Karel Janicek
Torrential rains have gone, flooding waters have been receding and the sun was shining again in the Czech town of Bohumin. But Zuzana Kublova was not in a mood to enjoy it.The house where Kublova’s family lives was inundated as was almost this entire town in the worst flooding in years that spread at a broad swath of Central Europe.After three days in safety upstairs, without power, running water or a cellphone signal, she stepped down to face a scene of destruction.“The entire ground floor is flooded, so all of us seven people and two dogs have to live together on the first floor without electricity and water,” Kublova told The Associated Press on Tuesday.“And don’t even ask how we go to the toilet,” she said. “It has happened again, something that had happened to us two or three times in the past.”The town was submerged by a flood wave brought by the Oder River that was fueled by record rains in northeast Czech Republic in recent days.
Government promises ‘abundant public support' to restore housing
06:00 , Rachel Hagan
A deputy Portuguese minister has promised “abundant public support” for the recovery of houses destroyed by fires in the north and central regions of the country.
Manuel Castro Almeida admitted that European funds may be used to cover the damage caused by the fires, which could involve reprogramming them.
He said the number for the funds has not been finalised yet but “it will be very substantial public support.”
Latest in pictures in Portugal
07:00 , Rachel Hagan
