Rivers expected to start receding Saturday
Ljubljana, 4 August - After experiencing heavy flooding, Slovenia has now been hit by an atmospheric river and heavy rain is pounding much of the country. The situation is not expected to improve by mid-day Saturday, when rivers will slowly start to recede, according to the Environment Agency.
Ljubljana
Hydrologist Janez Polajnar provides the latest update on the water levels in Slovenia's major rivers.
Photo: Katja Kodba/STA
Hydrologist Janez Polajnar told the press heavy rain was forecast for central, east and south Slovenia. The main downpours are expected in the first half of the night.
The water surge, which started in the mountainous north, is currently moving downstream. "Major rivers such as the Sava, which has already reached record volumes near Ljubljana, will be particularly hard hit," he said.
The Sava surge has already reached Posavje, a region bordering Croatia, and will move downstream to Croatia. Polajnar says record volumes by 3,800 cubic metres per second are expected.
The Sava tributary Savinja, which caused some of the worst flooding in the east of the country, will not recede much tonight and volumes in the Drava in the east will start declining towards the morning, he said.
"Luckily, the Drava is not expected to rise during the night. We have information from Austria that they have slightly reduced the volumes towards Slovenia," he said.
The Mura, further east towards Hungary, will continue rising through the night. "The volumes are projected to peak at 1,350 cubic metres per second, which means it will reach the edge of the levees. Let's hope they hold," he said.