The floods that have devastated areas in Europe continue to hit Switzerland after days of rain and storms, putting parts of the country at severe risk. Lakes and rivers in central Swiss cantons such as Bern and Lucerne have reached dangerous levels, and the rain is not set to ease until Monday, according to reports. Following strong rain, on Friday the highest danger level-5 remained for Lake Lucerne, Lake Thun and Lake Biel. The latter lake reached a record high level by Friday afternoon, flooding surrounding regions, the report added.
According to the Neue Zurcher Zeitung daily newspaper, the basements of some homes along the Reuss Riverbank have already been flooded and the fire brigade has been pumping water out of narrow streets. Swissinfo reported that the major cities such as Basel and Bern are also facing high flood risks, with the River Aare reaching a flow rate of 540 cubic meteres per second, nearing the 600 level recorded in the major floods of 2005.
In Bienne, RJB online radio reported that municipal authorities expect the lake to reach a record level of 431 metres by Friday. Swiss Radio Television RTS reported that President Guy Parmelin visited Lucerne on Thursday to assess the situation and extend his thanks to rescue workers.
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