Flood warning in Prague lifted after heavy storms: What you need to know

Prague residents can expect calmer conditions Saturday after heavy overnight storms briefly pushed two city streams to the first flood-alert level and flooded a road underpass in the south of the capital.

The Botič stream in Nusle reached around 140 centimeters at about 7 p.m. Friday, crossing the first flood-alert threshold of 120 centimeters. The level fell back below the threshold shortly after 8 p.m., while the Rokytka in Libeň also briefly reached the first level later in the evening.

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute’s flood warning for Prague has since been lifted. Prague’s previous warning had been in effect through the early hours of Saturday, with authorities monitoring the possibility of rapidly rising smaller waterways following intense rainfall.

The most visible impact in Prague was at the Vídeňská Street underpass in Krč, which was flooded during the storm. Five public bus routes were temporarily diverted as a result.

Heavy rain and strong winds also caused delays across Prague’s integrated public transport network. Rail services were subject to slower operating speeds because of the weather, according to the regional transport organization Ropid.

Prague firefighters responded to dozens of smaller weather-related incidents during the evening, mainly pumping water from flooded areas and dealing with fallen branches, according to spokesman Vojtěch Rotschedl.

The situation was more serious in parts of Central Bohemia. Firefighters recorded more than 120 weather-related interventions, including pumping water from flooded roads, basements and gardens and removing fallen trees. The Benešov district was among the areas most heavily affected.

The storms were part of a wider system that crossed much of Czechia between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. Firefighters nationwide had recorded 715 weather-related interventions by Saturday morning, primarily involving flooded basements and fallen trees.

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute reported that most of Bohemia received between 5 and 40 millimeters of rain over 24 hours, while parts of Central Bohemia, the Vysočina region and the Krkonoše mountains received 60 to 90 millimeters. The highest recorded total was 96.7 millimeters at Nedrahovice-Rudolec in Central Bohemia.

Some waterways elsewhere also briefly reached flood-alert levels. The Elbe at Špindlerův Mlýn, for example, rose above the first level overnight before falling rapidly as the rain stopped.

For Prague residents, the immediate flood threat has subsided, but localized water accumulation and storm damage may continue to affect roads and transport in some areas.

The rain has brought at least some temporary relief to the drought conditions that have plagued Czechia this summer, but it may be short-lived. The weather is expected to turn significantly warmer next week, with temperatures potentially reaching 33 degrees Celsius.