Flooding across Germany after night of heavy rainfall
Several drivers had to be rescued in the western city of Hagen.
Storms caused heavy flooding across parts of western and central Europe overnight, with one man missing after being swept away by a raging stream in eastern Germany.
Firefighters resumed their search for the man in Joehstadt, in Saxony state, on Wednesday morning. German news agency dpa reported that he had been trying to secure his property from rising waters when he disappeared.
In the western city of Hagen firefighters said they had to rescue several drivers whose vehicles had become stuck in a flooded underpass.
Videos on social media showed streets knee-deep in water and others buried by landslides.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Hof county near the eastern border with the Czech Republic issued a disaster alert late on Tuesday as basements filled with water, trees were uprooted and some areas lost power overnight.
Germany’s DWD weather service said the region saw 80 litres (more than 21 gallons) of rain per square metre in the space of 12 hours.
Meteorologists predicted further “extreme storms” in the western and central parts of Germany through Thursday, with peak rainfall possibly reaching 200 litres per square metre.
The neighbouring Netherlands and Belgium were also hit by flooding.
