Water level of Lake Neuchâtel continues to rise
Published: Friday, Dec 15th 2023, 13:00
Updated At: Friday, Dec 15th 2023, 13:00
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With the dry weather, the risk of flooding in parts of Switzerland eased somewhat on Friday. However, the risk of flooding remained, particularly at the lakes on the edge of the Jura.
According to the federal natural hazard map, the situation was most precarious at midday on Friday on Lake Biel and on the Aare from Lake Biel to the mouth of the Emme. The risk of flooding was high there. This corresponds to the fourth of five danger levels.
Lake Neuchâtel and Lake Geneva were also still at risk of flooding. According to the natural hazard map, the flood risk on these bodies of water was considerable - level three out of five.
The water level of Lake Neuchâtel continued to rise until Friday, reaching 430.36 meters. That is an increase of over one meter since last Saturday.
Danger from bise
The situation remains tense on the Vaud riverbank, as Denis Froidevaux, head of the Vaud cantonal command staff, told the Keystone-SDA news agency on request. Flooding cannot be ruled out during the night from Friday to Saturday or from Saturday morning. On Saturday, the lake level could rise by a further 20 to 30 centimetres with the oncoming breeze, he explained.
The flood warning and the high monitoring level remained in place for this region until at least next Wednesday. In other parts of the canton of Vaud, the situation returned to normal and was no longer a cause for concern. There were more minor landslides, as Froidevaux said. However, these did not cause any major damage.
No winter bathing
Meanwhile, the town of Neuchâtel advises against the increasingly common practice of winter swimming. The water quality is no longer guaranteed. "The water level of the lake has meant that several pumping stations used to pump up the waste water have had to be shut down," the authorities announced.
The municipality also recommended keeping an appropriate distance from the banks of the lake and watercourses due to the risk of landslides and falling rocks.
Situation at Lake Sarnen under control
The situation in the canton of Obwalden gradually calmed down. The water level of Lake Sarnen dropped again to such an extent that the Zentralbahn (ZB) was able to operate again without restrictions from midday on Friday. Due to flooding, one track on the Brünig line between Sarnen and Giswil was closed on Wednesday. The suburban trains were replaced by buses.
The situation also eased for the residents of the flooded Sachsler Ried district, albeit only slowly. Knut Hackbarth, mayor of Sachseln, said on request that the water level of Lake Sarnen had dropped by six to seven centimetres during the night to Friday. Further fire department interventions were no longer necessary.
Due to the flooding in the Sachsler Ried, however, the sewage system remains shut down. Hackbarth assumed on Friday that this situation would continue for a few more days.
©Keystone/SDA
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