The Rhine has been rising again for a few days. The water level in the Rhine was 6.25 meters in Cologne on Friday afternoon. This means that the high water mark I of 6.20 meters, above which ships have to travel more slowly, has already been exceeded. Last weekend the level reached a high of 7.37 meters, after which the water initially receded again.
But due to the heavy rainfall in the Rhine catchment area over the last few days, the water levels are currently rising again. The Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV) expects water levels of up to 7.50 meters on Christmas Eve.
Water levels over 8.00 meters possible
According to the latest forecasts from the Electronic Waterways Information Service (“ELWIS”), the peak of the current flood wave will be reached on Boxing Day. Water levels over 8.00 meters cannot currently be ruled out. However, according to “ELWIS”, the probability that the high water mark II of 8.30 meters will be exceeded on December 26th, above which shipping must be stopped, is currently only 13 percent.
However, the outlook remains wet. According to forecasts, water levels will initially fall again after Christmas, but will rise again from New Year’s Day. Due to the new wave of flooding, the swing bridge in Deutz harbor remains closed.
At the current water level, the Rhine transports around 4,700 cubic meters of water per second. That corresponds to around 26,000 bathtubs full to the brim. At the Cologne water level’s peak in 1995, at 10.69 meters, there was more than twice as much water: around 10,900 cubic meters or 60,500 full bathtubs per second.
2023-12-23 15:47:12
#Water #levels #Cologne #rising #flooding #returns #Christmas
