Four lives were tragically lost as historic downpours, unseen in decades, battered certain regions of central and eastern Europe.
A leisurely moving low-pressure system referred to as Storm Boris unleashed a month's worth of rain over various European historic cities such as Vienna, Bratislava, and Prague.
Regrettably, four lives were lost in Romania due to the excessive rainfall, leaving many others trapped in submerged areas. Emergency services have been deployed in affected regions as authorities signaled the heaviest rainfall recorded in a century during the preceding 24 hours.
"The predicament was most severe in seven municipalities," shared Romania's Interior Minister Cătălin Predoiu with CNN affiliate Antena 3. "They've already intervened there to save 95 individuals, however, it's sad to report that four individuals were discovered deceased in their residential properties or yards."
Rivers overflowed their banks in Poland and the Czech Republic. Poland's southern region mandated the displacement of inhabitants in Glucholazy town. The water level of the Biala Glicholaska river surged by two meters, or 6.5 feet, overnight into Saturday.
Poland's Interior Minister, Tomasz Siemoniak, stated to TVN24 following a challenging night, they are "focusing on the potential threats in the upcoming hours."
Persistent flooding is anticipated to persist in the Czech Republic, prompting authorities to institute obligatory displacements for certain areas. Videos released by the Czech Republic Fire and Rescue Service displayed flooded streets in the southern Benešově nad Černou municipality, where two ladies who disregarded evacuation orders required rescue by boat.
Germany's southern and eastern states are bracing for flooding, as river flood warnings have been issued in the state of Saxony. In neighboring Austria, excessive rainfall caused water levels to rise in various rivers, resulting in the mobilization of rescue services during the night.
Continuous and significant flooding is projected to persist throughout the weekend.
Red alerts, the highest level of warning, were issued for certain regions in Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Slovakia. This alert level signals "intense meteorological events" and "significant damage is probable," according to Meteoalarm.
CNN meteorologists Taylor Ward, Allison Chinchar, and Elliana Hebert contributed to this report.
The heavy rainfall caused by Storm Boris didn't just affect Europe, it also impacted other parts of the world. The World Meteorological Organization reported record-breaking precipitation in several regions outside Europe.
Despite Europe being the most affected, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over the global impact, urging all nations to prepare for extreme weather events due to climate change.
