Flooding critical in Hungary

Agence France-Presse: Several thousands of people were still stranded Saturday in northern Hungary as the flooding situation remained critical after over a month of near-continuous rainfall, authorities said. "Along the banks of the Hernad, Sajo and Boldva rivers some 2,300 people were evacuated due to the water flooding homes in the towns and villages" in the northeast region, a spokesman for the rescue services said.

Over 12,000 police officers, soldiers and firemen are involved in the rescue operation, which has enjoyed a rare dry spell since Friday that is forecast to last for the next week. In Budapest the docks of the flooded river Danube were shut and the banks of Margaret island, a major tourist destination in the capital, were protected by sand bags….

High water at the Chain Bridge in Budapest during the wet June of 2009, shot by Marion Schneider & Christoph Aistleitner, who have released the image into the public domain