Where are the floods in Europe and is it safe to travel?

This summer in Europe has been characterised by extreme weather, with blistering heatwaves in Greece and storms in Switzerland, Italy and France in July alone.

Now, parts of central Europe including Poland, Czechia and Slovakia have been engulfed by extreme floods after a month’s worth of rain fell in just 24 hours this weekend. Storm Boris has led to road closures, power outages and at least eight deaths, with rain and unsettled weather expected to last through Tuesday. Here’s everything you need to know about travelling to the affected regions and how to help.

Where’s the flooding in Europe?

Storm Boris has caused catastrophic damage across countries in Eastern and Central Europe, including Poland, Romania, Austria, Czechia, Hungary and Slovakia. The worst-affected areas include the border between Poland and Czechia, as well as Austria and Slovakia. 

In Austria, the region surrounding Vienna has been declared a disaster zone, while people have drowned in Poland and Romania. Several people have been reported missing in Czechia. Hundreds of houses have been destroyed.

Is it safe to travel?

The UK government has not issued any official advice against travelling to the affected regions, though they have added extra information on flooding to their pages on Poland and Austria. Rain and high winds are expected to continue until tomorrow. If you’re worried about travelling, your best bet would be to contact your trip provider to see what can be done.

How to help

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are responding to the floods – you can donate to IFRC here. 

The Czech Salvation Army are supporting the homeless during the floods. Donate to the Salvation Army here.

For a full list of Czech charities responding to the floods, head to expats.cz.

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