Storms and Floods

Tropical Storm Andrea forms in the Atlantic approximately 270 mi (430 km) WSW of Tampa, Florida. On the forecast track, the centre of Andrea will reach the coast of the Florida Big Bend area Thursday evening and then move from southeastern Georgia across southeastern South Carolina and eastern North Carolina Thursday night and Friday.

Flooding in Slovakia

A flood emergency has been declared in Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia.

The rising water level in the Danube River has reached 9.71 meters. The floods are expected to peak on Thursday as the flood waters from Austria reach Slovakia.

Oklahoma, USA Tornado - Update

The tornado that struck El Reno, Oklahoma some days ago is believed to be the widest on record in the United States. A 2.5-mile wide storm claimed at least 18 lives including six children.

Landslide in Nepal

At least seven people have died and four other are missing in a landslide in Taplejung region of eastern Nepal. Six people among the dead are members of the same family. The landslide occurred in the remote village of Thukimba-6 in Taplejung district.

Floodwaters Reach Eastern Germany

As the people of Prague started to clean up after three days of flooding, residents in the eastern German cities of Dresden, Halle and Meissen were bolstering their defenses against the torrents of water still surging from the Vltava, Mulde and Saale rivers into the Elbe.

While water levels subsided in parts of Bavaria, Austria and the Czech Republic, the full force of the deluge is expected to hit eastern Germany in the coming days. Soldiers, emergency services and volunteers are battling to limit the damage from the flooding, the worst on record in some parts of the country, recalling the devastation in 2002 that put whole regions of Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary under water.

The Elbe had risen to 8.44 meters (28 feet) in Dresden. City officials said the water mark may reach 9 meters in the course of the floods, compared with 9.4 meters at the height of the 2002 catastrophe. While Dresden’s historic city center, including the Frauenkirche cathedral, will be safe because of protection installed after the 2002 floods, some city districts that are located further downstream still lack such protection. About 5,600 German soldiers are toiling in the flood areas, according to the defense ministry. The troops are reinforcing dams, giving medical aid and helping with evacuations. Contingents of Dutch and French troops are also aiding the relief effort.

In Halle on the Saale, one dam in the city has burst, prompting authorities to order 30,000 people to leave their homes. As many as 1,500 emergency staff and volunteers are working to protect the city with pumps and at least 140,000 sandbags. The Elbe reached 8.89 meters in the city of Meissen in Saxony, where water flowed into the city center and the local utility had to temporarily cut power supplies in some parts. At least 10,000 people have been evacuated in the state.