On Thursday evening, the water level in the Elbe in Dresden reached its maximum and has been slowly falling since then, German media report. The situation on the Oder, along which the culminating wave is moving from southern Poland, is now causing concern.
According to data from the Brandenburg Environmental Protection Office, the water level in the Elbe near Dresden reached 610 cm on Thursday and has been falling steadily since then. The latest measurement (12:00) from the water gauge is 544 cm.
The flood situation may only worsen on the Oder in Brandenburg, near the border between Germany and Poland.
Flood risk
Residents of towns along the Oder, near the Polish-German border, are preparing for possible floods. The water level is rising near Frankfurt (Oder), Eisenhuettenstadt and Ratzdorf and could reach alarm level by the middle of next week.
Flood warnings are in force on the Oder along the Polish-German border.
Flooding in southeastern regions of Germany
Germany experienced floods caused by heavy rainfall to a much lesser extent. Southeastern regions of Germany experienced minor floods. The areas of Upper and Lower Bavaria and Upper Palatinate were particularly affected.
On Wednesday, Brandenburg's premier Dietmar Woidke told local media that crisis teams were on alert in the eastern part of the country. In Saxony, the regional environment minister, Wolfram Günther, was quoted by the weekly Die Zeit as saying he did not expect major flooding, even if some water from Czech rivers flowed into the Elbe.
Main image source: PAP/EPA/FILIP SINGER