The Arve, a river that flows through Geneva and into the Rhône, experienced its highest volumetric flow ever recorded on Wednesday morning. “We have exceeded 1,000 cubic metres per second”, said Lieutenant Nicolas Millot, spokesman for the Fire and Rescue Service (SIS).
The situation has prompted the authorities to close five of the eight bridges spanning the river in the canton of Geneva. These closures are causing major disruption to traffic. Public transport is also affected, with trams no longer able to cross from one bank to the other.
As of Wednesday morning, no significant damage had been reported. Around a hundred firefighters are on standby, ready to intervene in the event of the river overflowing its banks. In some critical places, where the Arve is within a few centimetres of the pavement, flood protection barriers are in place, as well as planks along the railings.
The bridges are not expected to be reopened before midday, according to Geneva police spokesman Alexandre Brahier.
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