Code Orange warning for downpours in Limburg
Meteorological institute KNMI escalated a weather warning for Limburg to code orange as extreme downpours are expected in the province, which is already dealing with flooding in some places. The warning is in effect until 6:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Some areas especially, in the southern parts of Limburg, may get over 150 mm of rain in the coming period. That is twice as much as usual for the month of July. Take precautions to prevent flooding damage, the institute warned.
"It's all faster and more than expected," Har Frenken of Waterschap Limburg said to NOS. "We are dealing with a very erratic precipitation pattern in the south." Overnight, the village of Schin op Geul got 85 millimeters of rain in three hours, he said. "Those are extreme amounts."
The water board is doing everything it can to prevent flooding, including digging an extra channel near Valkenburg so that the large amounts of water can flow away more easily. But with so much rain, not everything can be prevented, Frenken said. Many locals are already dealing with flooded homes, he said.
This much water can cause dangerous situations, Frenken added. "We are seeing that at the moment. We are calling on people to not go to places where a lot of water flows or where streams overflow if it is not necessary. A manhole cover from the sewer may be gone on the road, you could just fall in. Don't go looking for trouble in the coming days," he stressed.
