Denmark’s largest football tournament drowns in torrential rain

Heavy rain leaves parts of northern Jutland under water

Torrential rain that yesterday evening hit northern Jutland completely drenched participants at Denmark’s largest youth football tournament, the Dana Cup 2016.

Heavy rain started to fall just as teams from Brasil, India and the US were making their way to the official opening ceremony in Hjørring, where the tournament has been taking place annually since in 1982.

Some 30,000 cubic metres of water had to be pumped out of the tournament site just during the first hour.

This year, the Dana Cup hosts a record number of participants and guests.

Some 1,157 teams from 60 countries will compete at the tournament, which is one of the largest of its kind in the world.

READ MORE: Weather warnings for heavy rain and storms issued for Denmark

Flooded homes and schools
Meanwhile, the rescue company Falck had to assist at 45 other locations around Denmark, where the torrential rain flooded homes, schools and several larger factory buildings.

“The worst situation was in Vejle and there were also some problems in Aarhus and northern Jutland,” Sandra Kronmann, the communications manager at Falck, told Berlingske.

“We also drove out and helped at six locations in Zealand, mostly in the western part.”

Kronmann advises people who are on vacation to contact neighbours to check if their basements have been flooded.

According to the Danish meteorologist DMI, there is no longer a risk of another heavy rain in Denmark but partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers will prevail in the next few days.




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