The massive ice formation is the result of a period of intense cold since the beginning of January, with temperatures dropping to 15 degrees below freezing on the night of January 10 to 11. This led to the formation of an ice layer with a thickness of tens of centimeters upstream of the Geesthacht weir, explained shipping manager Tilman Treber of the German Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV).
About ten icebreakers have been trying for almost two weeks to fragment the ice to reopen the passage and prevent the accumulation of ice from leading to a dangerous rise in water or flooding.
The fragmented ice shelves were then driven down by the current and accumulated at the foot of the weir, in a zone of strong turbulence. In just a few days, they formed blocks of up to ten meters high across the entire width of the river, creating a true spectacle.
