In Głuchołazy, in Poland's southern region of Opole, the Biała Głuchołaska river reached a water height exceeding two meters above the alarm level. At night, a decision was made to evacuate residents from the most endangered flood areas - about 400 people. Due to the high level of the river, the local bridge on national road number 40 was also blocked.
Residents were evacuated in the nearby town of Morów too, which is difficult to reach due to flooded roads. In the Nysa district of the Opole region, firefighters have intervened 260 times so far in connection with flooding and high river levels. In the whole country, by six in the morning, there were 1,300 such interventions - and their number only increased during the day.
Further west in the south of Poland, the Karkonosze National Park appeals for caution and forgoing trips to dangerous places. The park published a video on social media showing the swollen waters of the Szklarki waterfall - a place popular among tourists. The mountain resort of Szklarska Poręba in the region has been closed off for the tourists, with passenger trains suspended.
Warnings for the highest, third degree downpours, are still in force across southern Poland - from the southwestern region of Lower Silesia through the Opole region bordering it from the east, as well as further eastwards along the country's southern border - in Małopolska and Silesia regions. Warnings issued in all these regions will be in force until Monday.
According to Poland's Institute of Meteorology and Water Management IMGW forecasts, the weather situation is expected to stabilize with the weekend's end, but the high water level in the rivers may persist longer.
On Saturday - according to the forecast - rainfall will occur across the south of the country, bar the regions furthest east, with periods of strong intensity and temporarily torrential. Storms may occur as well - and the periods of rain, although less intense, are likely to be experienced across the country.
By 1:00 PM, 53 water gauges in Poland's rivers had reached the alarm level. This mainly concerns the regions of Lower Silesia and Opole. Meanwhile, the warning level has been reached at over 120 measuring stations.
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Source: IAR, PAP