Extreme weather: Flooding and wildfires across Europe

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet with leaders of several flood-hit nations in the Polish city of Wroclaw on Thursday. 

"Von der Leyen will visit Wroclaw on September 19," the Polish government's press office said. 

It added that she would hold talks in the western city with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Brussels said the visit was at Tusk's invitation. "President von der Leyen will visit the area at risk in Wroclaw to assess the situation created by the recent heavy floods and rains that have hit Poland," Commission deputy chief spokesperson Arianna Podesta told reporters. 

A firefighter has drowned during heavy rains in the Puglia region of southern Italy.

The 59-year-old man died after his SUV was swept away by floodwaters near the town of San Severo, authorities said.

The man was reportedly trying to rescue other motorists caught in the floodwaters when he died.

Heavy rains also hit other Italian regions, including Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, where several rivers burst their banks.

Heavy rain, including cloudbursts, is expected to continue across much of Italy at least through Friday.

The first cases of looting have been reported in flood-affected areas of the Czech Republic, Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said after a crisis meeting in Prague. 

He said the law prescribes harsher penalties for such acts in disaster situations and warned that burglary carries penalties of up to 15 years in prison without parole.

Clean-up efforts are underway in the aftermath of the devastating floods in the east of the country. In many places, volunteers were confronted with scenes of overwhelming destruction. 

The army has brought in heavy equipment. Helicopters have been delivering drinking water and food to towns and communities on the border with Poland that have been cut off by damaged roads and collapsed bridges.

Meanwhile, water levels along the Elbe River near the border with the German state of Saxony are expected to continue rising today.

The highest flood alert remains in effect at more than 25 monitoring stations throughout the Czech Republic. 
 

Portugal continued to battle dozens of wildfires on Wednesday as the death toll from the disaster rose to seven.

The three largest fires were concentrated in the northern Aveiro region, scorching some 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres) of land.

Across the country, more than 4,500 firefighters, 1,000 vehicles and 20 aircraft have been mobilized to fight the blazes.

"We're in for some very difficult times over the next few days," Portugal's Prime Minister Luis Montenegro had said earlier.

Scientists have warned that climate breakdown will continue to make extreme weather events increasingly common.

The eastern German city of Dresden was on high alert over the potential for the Elbe River, which bisects the city, to begin flooding.

The built-up areas, roads, and rainlines close the river are all in danger of becoming submerged, local authorities said, with the river already 6 meters (20 feet) above normal levels.

There is also the issue of the partially collapsed Carola Bridge in Dresden, which already began wreaking havoc on movement through the city last week.

Germany had thus far been spared the worst of the flooding that mostly hit Central Europe, killing at least 20 people across Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Romania.

Volunteers and emergency workers were rushing to fortify the Polish city of Wroclaw from approaching floodwaters.

"A lot happened tonight," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told a crisis meeting in Wroclaw. "We will need urgent information...from those places that received high water."

Europe's worst floods in two decades have left a trail of devastation in Poland, with at least five people dead, thousands of homes uninhabitable, and property still submerged.

Now, the city of Wroclaw is bracing itself as the water begins to shift, placing sandbags in front of residences and businesses.

Some 14,000 soldiers have been deployed to the worst-hit regions of Poland.

Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski told the Wroclaw meeting that 2 billion zlotys ($521 million) in funds had been secured for dealing with the effects of the floods.

Following intense rain and flooding over the weekend, Austria has announced that its €300 million ($333 million) disaster relief fund will be expanded to €1 billion.

Chancellor Karl Nehammer said €40 million has been specifically earmarked for people whose homes are now unlivable.

Austria's Danube, Kamp, and Traisen rivers all burst their banks in different areas of the country, leading to widespread flooding. Two elderly men were killed in their homes when they flooded too rapidly to allow escape.

The rain turned to snowfall in the country's Alpine regions, and landslides are expected when the unexpected September snow melts.

es/sms (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)