The Léman Rose by Seven Centimetres Overnight

With the weather system that we have had over Europe a lot of rain has fallen. So much rain has fallen that it has swollen rivers and flooded plenty of regions. In Switzerland, because almost everything is on a hill flooding might be noticed in some parts of certain cities, but in theory it is easy, within meters, to be safe from the flood.

Boats in Nyon

Boats in Nyon

Visible flooding in Nyon

Boats in Nyon

Boats in Nyon

Today in the port of Nyon you can see that the boats are much higher than usual. Normally they would be one to two meters lower than they are in these images. According to a conversation I overheard the lake rose by seven centimetres overnight, i.e. enough for the lake to be level with the access platforms.

In some images, you see that the petrol station is now partially immersed in the lake. I don't think that there is a risk of pollution when it is at this specific level, but I am not certain. What is certain is that the lake is at an interesting level compared to usual. Flooding is occurring for properties that are close to the lake, or below lake level.

Some cantons have banned access to the water, probably due to silt, sediment and other detritus found in the water. In contrast, the water from the Léman, in so far as I could see, looked clean. This is positive. If properties are flooded by this water, they will find clean up and drying easier than if the opposite is true.

In Neuchatel, due to the waters rising so much, they intentionally flooded a parking. Les images de La Maladière inondée. I find such events interesting. It's interesting to see how high the water can get. It's interesting to see how people respond, and it's interesting to see what curiousities result from the excess of water needing to be dealt with.

It would be interesting to see the Pont Des Machines in Geneva, to see how high it is, and to see whether all the sluices are open.