Laden...
Towns in the Moravian-Silesian Region are activating flood commissions in response to warnings of intense rainfall, as local authorities and fire services issue alerts via websites and social media.
Rivers draining the Beskydy, Javorníky, White Carpathians and Jeseníky mountains are expected to swell significantly on Tuesday night and Wednesday due to prolonged, heavy to extreme rainfall. Water levels may reach the first or second flood alert level, while smaller streams in the Olše River basin could even rise to the highest, third level.
As a precaution, Environment Minister Petr Hladík convened a meeting of the Central Flood Commission on Tuesday morning to assess the forecast and recommend possible measures.
Nineteen children's camps are currently operating in high-risk areas, according to the Czech Public Health Service. Firefighters will visit all of them to inform organisers of the risks, officials said.
Interior Minister Vít Rakušan urged people in threatened areas to keep phones charged and have power banks ready -standard advice in any emergency. He also warned people against entering swollen rivers, stressing that doing so could endanger both civilians and rescue teams.
The investigation into Friday’s nationwide blackout is expected to take several weeks, with experts from the national grid operator ČEPS, local distributors, and the European grid organisation ENTSO-E all involved.
ČEPS also plans preventive thermal imaging inspections of key power lines, spokeswoman Hana Klímová told reporters.
Meanwhile, many businesses in the affected regions are seeking compensation, and insurers report dozens of claims, mostly for damaged appliances and spoiled food. Experts warn that payouts may be complicated, as not all policies cover power surges.
Russia and Ukraine both face limitations that prevent either side from gaining the upper hand in the ongoing war, Czech President Petr Pavel said in an interview with BBC Ukraine. He noted that since Russia has far more potential recruits, Ukraine can only succeed with superior technology and innovation. “With our help, Ukrainians are constantly increasing domestic weapons production. They’re devising new tactics almost daily. They’re developing new equipment. But of course, this alone isn’t enough to defeat Russia quickly," the Czech president stated. He concluded that while Western allies must continue supporting Ukraine militarily, victory in this war is unlikely to be achieved on the battlefield alone and emphasized the importance of financial, economic and other measures that the United States and Europe can impose jointly.
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský thanked his German counterpart Johann Wadephul in Prague for Germany’s support of the Czech-led ammunition initiative for Ukraine. With over one billion euros pledged, Wadephul confirmed that Germany is one of the top contributors. The ministers stressed the importance of the EU’s 18th sanctions package against Russia. Lipavský reiterated Czech efforts to limit the movement of Russian diplomats within the Schengen Area. Wadephul said the idea must be carefully considered, including potential retaliatory steps. Both ministers signed a strategic dialogue programme for 2025–2027 and discussed funding for the Czech-German Future Fund.
Prague’s Staroměstská metro station will remain closed for about a month after a weekend fire damaged its escalators, the city’s transport operator DPP said on Monday. The fire broke out on Saturday evening necessitating the evacuation of dozens of people. Firefighters managed to extinguish the fire fairly quickly preventing widespread damage, but the escalators will now need to be taken apart and cleaned, a DPP spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The metro now passes through the station without stopping.
Meanwhile police say they have identified six young men believed to be connected to the incident. A newly released video shows them drinking on the escalator and one of them tossing away a lit object. All members of the group are being questioned.
Over 1,300 people have signed a petition calling for the authorities to properly address the mass fish die-off in the Dyje River in late June. Its authors are demanding a year-round minimum river flow of eight cubic metres per second, full transparency, and an independent investigation into the cause of last week’s incident. It is addressed to the Morava River Water Management, the Ministry of the Environment, and several regional bodies. Miroslav Láníček, head of the Moravian Anglers’ Association, told the ctk news agency the local fishing community is deeply concerned by the fact that these massive fish die-offs have been happening every summer for years without propoer corrective action.
Czech tennis player Kateřina Siniaková will compete for a spot in the mixed doubles final at Wimbledon today alongside Dutch partner Sem Verbeek. The Olympic gold medallist in mixed doubles, who triumphed last year in Paris with Tomáš Macháč, is enjoying another strong run at the grass-court Grand Slam. On Monday, Siniaková and Verbeek defeated the British duo Joshua Paris and Eden Silva in straight sets, 7:6, 6:3. They now face Croatia’s Mate Pavić and Hungary’s Tímea Babos. The match is scheduled last on Court 12. Siniaková is also chasing another title in the women’s doubles with American partner Taylor Townsend.
Wednesday should be mostly overcast with persistent rain in the eastern parts of the country and daytime temperatures between 17 and 22 degrees Celsius.
Czech archaeologists have announced a major discovery. During a rescue excavation along the future route of the D35 motorway near Hradec Králové, they unearthed a Celtic settlement, unprecedented in Czechia for both its size and the number of artefacts uncovered.
A sample of water from the source of the Vltava River has set off on a two-month journey. Participants in the so-called ‘Vltava Relay’ will carry and transport it in a special capsule to draw attention to the many significant places connected to the river.
Czechia and the United States are moving toward closer military cooperation. The two are discussing the possibility of Czech liaison officers serving on US bases. The timeline remains unclear but the US Department of Defense has already issued a directive that the Czech side intends to follow.
Ondřej Provazník is the writer-director of Broken Voices, a new Czech drama that is in the main competition at the ongoing Karlovy Vary International Film Festival . The powerful picture follows a 13-year-old girl as she comes under the sway of the conductor of her choir and is inspired by a scandal centred on the head of a Prague girls’ choir, who was jailed on multiple sexual abuse charges. I spoke to Provazník ahead of the world premiere of the film, whose Czech title Sbormistr translates literally as The Choirmaster.
This e-mail is sent to you automatically according to the settings you chose. To change the settings, click here.
© 2025, Radio Prague International - the external service of Czech Radio, all rights reserved.
https://english.radio.cz, e-mail: english@radio.cz, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram
Laden...
Laden...
© 2025
