Foreign Office issues warning to UK tourists with 'situation changing quickly' in European country

A member of the military at the passport control at Manchester airport
-Credit: (Image: Peter Powell/PA Wire)


UK holidaymakers are being warned against travelling to some parts of the Czech Republic as it grapples with severe storms. The Foreign Office has alerted British nationals about the intense rainfalls and the extreme weather changes taking place this week across Europe.

"Heavy rain and flooding are causing severe disruption, especially in Southern and Eastern parts of the country," according to the Foreign Office's latest update. They recommend checking local conditions before travelling and adhering to any advice from Czech authorities if present in affected areas.

The FCDO advised: "They will tell you if they can help and what you need to do." This warning comes as Martin Vondrasek, the Czech police chief, announced on local radio that a woman tragically drowned after a stream burst its banks near the town of Bruntal.

Martin revealed these details on Sunday (September 15) following the incident in the north-eastern part of the Czech Republic. He also issued a caution that seven individuals were still missing, and numerous evacuations took place as Storm Boris brought about significant floods, the like of which hadn't been seen for over 20 years in that region, reports Birmingham Live.

Further advisories are in place for Poland and Austria as well. Meanwhile, Czech authorities reported on Sunday that four individuals were unaccounted for, including three who were in a vehicle carried into a river in the north-eastern town of Lipova-lazne.

Another individual has been reported missing after being swept away by the floods in the south-east. Pavel Bily, a resident of Lipova-lazne, expressed his despair, saying: "What you see here is worse than in 1997 and I don't know what will happen because my house is under water and I don't know if I will even return to it,".

Czech police, in a statement on X, urged residents to comply with evacuation orders, stating: "Police and firefighters know what they're doing and why they're doing it. The situation is changing quickly and we can't be everywhere immediately."

"Within a few moments, the only way out could be by helicopter."