Prague Bracing For Floods As Sudden Warming Melts Mountain Snow - Reuters

[hatrack]

PRAGUE - Authorities reinforced the main river in Prague on Tuesday as rising waters threatened to flood low-lying parts of the historic city, including its zoo.

Barriers were erected to prevent water spilling into streets, and metal walls will be erected at the medieval Kampa district below the 14th century Charles Bridge. It is necessary to secure this part of the city as soon as possible due to the growing water flow in the Vltava river in Prague," Prague City Council said in a statement.

Rivers across the central European country were rising fast due to rain and unusually warm weather which melted deep snow which fell over the winter. An operator at the Vltava river management firm Povodi Vltavy said the water flowing into Prague was three times the average for spring, and estimated it could rise by another about 75 percent in the coming days. Weather forecasters said there would be more rain throughout the week.

Prague suffered its worst flooding in centuries in the summer of 2002, when the swollen Vltava river forced tens of thousands to leave their homes and water spilled into large parts of the city and flooded its underground rail system.

EDIT

http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/35817/story.htm