River and stream situations in Rhineland-Palatinate are significantly improving, as reported by the flood control center. Despite higher water levels across the board, they remain relatively low compared to past incidents. As of now, the forecast suggests that upcoming rainfall won't cause significant water level surges.
In Worms, where flooding initially occurred, Upper Rhine water levels are decreasing. A high of 7.57 meters was recorded at the Maxau gauge on Sunday. Meanwhile, Mainz is expecting its highest level between 5.80 and 6.00 meters on Tuesday.
The Middle Rhine water levels are expected to keep rising initially, with Kaub reaching a peak of 6.00 meters and Koblenz reaching 6.20 to 6.60 meters. These levels will eventually decrease by the weekend.
On the Moselle in Tier, a peak of 6.14 meters was reported on Monday night. Since then, falling water levels have been observed. Sieg and its tributaries will continue to rise in water levels until Monday, with falling levels expected from Tuesday onwards as the rain subsides.
While the situation is improving, the flood control center warns of potential impacts from ongoing 'bad weather' in certain areas of Rhineland-Palatinate. Specifically, the water level could be affected in urban areas like Mainz and rural areas such as Tier.
Enriching the base article, it's worth noting that this region has experienced extreme precipitation events in the past, such as the flooding of July 2021 in Ahr valley. Extreme rainfall levels reached up to 160 mm within 48 hours, with local peaks surpassing 250 mm/24h in the Ahr valley. Climate change's impact on heavy rainfall increase can't be ignored, either. If global temperature rises to 2 degrees Celsius, heavy rainfall intensity is also projected to increase. Extreme events like these have return period estimates, but they vary significantly and can often be several hundred years.
