Flood alert issued for Budapest, traffic changes

Flood alert issued for Budapest. Photo: MTI

Based on forecasts by the national water-level service, Gergely Karácsony, the mayor of Budapest, has issued a first-degree (lowest) flood alert along four stretches of the River Danube in Budapest, the mayor’s office said on Tuesday.

The lower embankment of the Danube is expected to be closed to traffic from 8 PM on Thursday, the statement said. Starting from Thursday afternoon, all cars parked in the area despite warnings to be placed on their windshield will be towed, it added.

Based on current forecasts, a higher-level flood alert may be introduced in the coming days.

The National Water Directorate General (OVF) told MTI on Monday that the water authority is prepared to protect the Danube river basin against the tidal surge caused by the significant amount of rain that has fallen in recent days and is expected to continue.

The National Technical Management Team of the water authority started working at 8 AM on Monday to coordinate the protection works. More than 60 specialists will be assigned from the Tisza water management directorates to the inter-island Danube section, it was reported.

Although the forecasts are uncertain due to unexpectedly heavy rainfall, they said, the latest calculations show that the Danube will rise to near the third degree close to Nagybajcs on Friday morning and is expected to rise above the first degree near Budapest on the weekend, approaching the lower quay.

According to the information, further rainfall was recorded in the upper Danube catchment area, with an area average of 10-18 millimetres of rain falling in the last 24 hours.

Over the next six days, water levels are expected to be above first degree at Komárom, Esztergom, Nagymaros, Budapest, Baja and Mohács, and above first degree on the Mura at Letenye, the Rába at Körmend and Győr. Water levels on the Tarna are above the level of flood protection alert level two, while on the lower reaches of the Zagyva at Jásztelek they are expected to be close to level one, they said.

It was pointed out that due to the heavy rainfall in the spring, the floodplain is subject to very dense vegetation, which slows down the flow of the river and may cause higher water levels than forecast.

“Water experts are monitoring the data 24 hours a day, monitoring the river and adapting flood protection measures to the changing situation,” the statement said.

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1 Comment

It's COMING : says:

05/06/2024 at 07:54

It’s COMING.
Read on what’s HAPPENED in beautiful Regensburg, Germany over the past 5 days.
The geographical location of Regensburg, Germany – it’s relationship with the Danube River, and “other” – that flow into and out of Regensburg, onto Hungary, it is COMING.
Rain, expected AGAIN in coming days, warmer temperatures, causing snow on the Alps to melt, that makes it’s way, through natures passages, streams, canals etc. that the water flows into – at a sooner than later stage, the Danube River.
It is and in coming days possible weeks, will cause Major concerns – re-scheduling – re-routing – to the River Cruise Ships “traffic” in and out of Budapest, Hungary.
It’s coming, and may the expected rain, in coming days, in Lower Bavaria – watching diligently Passau, Germany, known as the City of Three Rivers, of which one is the Danube River, and Regensburg, Germany – as THEY are historically major indicators to Hungary, what we CAN highly likely EXPECT, in the flow of the “Mighty” Danube River.