Severe weather Water levels on Lake Constance reach second-highest danger level
On Saturday, the water levels of Lake Constance exceeded the threshold of flood danger level four out of a total of five. According to the federal government, the water level in Romanshorn TG was around four centimetres above the threshold for the second-highest danger level at midday on Saturday.
22.06.2024, 12:34
SDA
According to data from the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), the water level at the measuring station in Berlingen TG has also recently risen again. This means that flood danger level four also applies to Untersee, the western part of Lake Constance. This level means "great danger" with regard to flooding.
"After last night's rainfall, the lake is at about the same level as it was a week ago," confirmed a representative of the Kreuzlingen regional command staff at the request of the Keystone-SDA news agency. At that time, large parts of Lake Constance were also at danger level four. In Berlingen TG, however, where there was danger level five and the lake overflowed its banks in places at the time, it was around ten centimetres away from last week's maximum sand level.
According to the representative of the command staff, no special measures need to be taken at present. In the past few days, it had been decided not to dismantle the protective measures already in place, such as mobile dyke systems. They are therefore still available.
From Friday evening until Saturday morning, the police had not received any reports of damage due to the rising water levels, as a spokesperson for the Thurgau cantonal police told the Keystone-SDA news agency.
Rhine forelands remain closed
As a precautionary measure, the Rhine forelands from Lustenau (A) to Lake Constance and from Widnau to the St. Margrethenberg Bruggerhorn border will remain closed until at least Sunday morning. The situation will then be reassessed, as a spokeswoman for the International Water Weir on the Alpine Rhine (IWWA) said on request.
"During the night from Friday to Saturday, we measured a peak discharge of 1638 cubic meters of water per second in the Rhine at Diepoldsau," the IWWA spokesperson continued. Further rainfall is expected in the afternoon. The IWWA assumes that the peak discharge will be 1000 cubic meters of water per second in the coming night.
In the meantime, the Rhine overflowed at the Rhine forelands, as it is supposed to do at high water levels. In the meantime, the Rhine has returned to its riverbed. However, it will still take some time before the water on the Rhine forelands has completely drained away.
