The flood warning service has lifted the red alert for southern Luxembourg as the country's waterways have begun to recede after flooding and heavy rainfall overnight.
According to inondations.lu the flood warning service has gone back to pre-alert status as of Saturday morning. There is still a risk of minor floods in areas prone to flooding. Residents are urged to exercise caution and to pay attention to updates.
The water levels on the Alzette river exceeded the alert thresholds at the Pfaffenthal and Steinsel gauges on Friday afternoon, rising in Mersch and Ettelbruck as well. However, the high point was reached overnight, and water levels have been slowly receding since, although they remain higher than usual in Livange and Hesperange.
It is thought the Alzette will drop back to "pre-alert" thresholds by midday or later.
Heavy rainfall along the French Moselle area has led to rising water levels on the Moselle river as well, which has also been affected by additional backwater from the Saar river in Germany. Saarland is currently experiencing an extreme flood risk, with much of the city of Saarbrücken now underwater. Residents in Wasserbillig and along the Moselle region are advised to be cautious, while the CGDIS services are on heightened alert.
On the Sûre river, the pre-alert threshold was crossed in Diekirch and Bollendorf on Friday night, with the water levels expected to reduce by midday on Saturday.
Other smaller rivers in Luxembourg, such as the Mamer, Syre, Ernz Blanche and Ernz Noire, have also reached significantly higher water levels.
The national alert service sent out text message warnings on Friday as a result of the weather conditions.
The situation is expected to ease on Sunday.
The emergency services received over 800 calls in the last 24 hours as a result of the flooding and heavy rain.In Luxembourg City, selected roads were closed, as well as the Place d'Etoile, as they were underwater overnight. However, all roads are expected to open to traffic by 10am on Saturday and the capital's bus routes will function as normal. The pedestrian paths along the Alzette, and the PC1 cycle path, will remain shut until further notice.
