Skip next section Portugal battles fercious wildfires
09/18/2024September 18, 2024
Portugal battles fercious wildfires
continued to battle on Wednesday as the death toll from the disaster rose to seven.
The three largest fires were concentrated in the northern Aveiro region, scorching some 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres) of land.
Across the country, more than 4,500 firefighters, 1,000 vehicles and 20 aircraft have been mobilized to fight the blazes.
“We’re in for some very difficult times over the next few days,” Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro had said earlier.
Scientists have warned that climate breakdown will continue to make extreme weather events increasingly common.
https://p.dw.com/p/4kkmi
Skip next section Dresden on high alert for flooding
09/18/2024September 18, 2024
Dresden on high alert for flooding
The eastern German city of Dresden was on high alert over the potential for the Elbe River, which bisects the city, to begin flooding.
The built-up areas, roads, and rainlines close the river are all in danger of becoming submerged, local authorities said, with the river already 6 meters (20 feet) above normal levels.
There is also the issue of which already began wreaking havoc on movement through the city last week.
Germany had thus far been spared the worst of the flooding that mostly hit Central Europe, killing at least 20 people across Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Romania.
https://p.dw.com/p/4kkmY
Skip next section Poland races to protect Wroclaw
09/18/2024September 18, 2024
Poland races to protect Wroclaw
Volunteers and emergency workers were rushing to from approaching floodwaters.
“A lot happened tonight,” Polish Prime Minister told a crisis meeting in Wroclaw. “We will need urgent information…from those places that received high water.”
Europe’s worst floods in two decades have left a trail of devastation in , with at least five people dead, thousands of homes uninhabitable, and property still submerged.
Now, the city of Wroclaw is bracing itself as the water begins to shift, placing sandbags in front of residences and businesses.
Some 14,000 soldiers have been deployed to the worst-hit regions of Poland.
Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski told the Wroclaw meeting that 2 billion zlotys ($521 million) in funds had been secured for dealing with the effects of the floods.
https://p.dw.com/p/4kklI
Skip next section Austria expands disaster relief fund to €1 billion
09/18/2024September 18, 2024
Austria expands disaster relief fund to €1 billion
Following intense rain and flooding over the weekend, has announced that its €300 million ($333 million) disaster relief fund will be expanded to €1 billion.
Chancellor Karl Nehammer said €40 million has been specifically earmarked for people whose homes are now unlivable.
Austria’s Danube, Kamp, and Traisen rivers all burst their banks in different areas of the country, leading to widespread flooding. Two elderly men were killed in their homes when they flooded too rapidly to allow escape.
The rain turned to snowfall in the country’s Alpine regions, and landslides are expected when the unexpected September snow melts.
es/sms (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)
https://p.dw.com/p/4kkg5
The post Extreme weather: Flooding and wildfires across Europe appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
