The Ahja River, the largest right-bank tributary of the Emajõgi River, currently looks more like a lake when viewed from above. Measurements taken over the weekend showed a water level of 271 centimeters above the monitoring station's baseline.

"The last time we had such a high water level was 46 years ago. At the moment, it is decreasing, though not very quickly. However, throughout August, we should keep in mind that if it starts raining again, new records may be set," said Tanel Toots, a hydrologist at the Environment Agency.

The Ahja River is not the only river overflowing its banks. Nearly all water bodies in Southern Estonia have risen by one or two meters over the past week due to multiple months' worth of rainfall in the last couple of days of July.

In addition to the amount of rainfall, the risk of flooding is also influenced by factors such as the amount of vegetation in the river.

"If the outflow is obstructed by vegetation, fallen trees and debris, the change in water level is much more abrupt compared to larger rivers with less vegetation impact. The more natural, winding and overgrown with vegetation a river is, the worse the floods tend to be. This naturalness and flood risk are at odds with each other," explained Margus Tamm, a professor of applied hydrology at the Estonian University of Life Sciences.

While the floods have mainly affected Southern Estonia, the Sõtke Reservoir in Sillamäe also saw a water level rise of one and a half meters by Saturday, causing basements and gardens in nearby summer cottage plots to flood. The water receded by Monday.

"The potatoes rotted and the sand and soil were washed away. I don't think the damage is extensive. But I don't know what will happen to the pumpkins, and the apple tree might dry out; it stood in water for a long time and doesn't like excess water," said Aleksander, a gardener from Sillamäe.

A floodgate on the river could have prevented the flooding in Sillamäe. The Environmental Board is now investigating why this was not done.

"Currently, we have high water levels in a few small rivers that are very natural and largely unregulated. The issue in Sillamäe is due to problems with water level regulation during this flood. So we need to look at what was left undone by humans," said Tamm.

However, heavy rains are something to be prepared for as they are becoming increasingly common.

"Statistical data has shown that we can expect about a 4 percent increase in severe rainfall every decade, and we simply have to account for that," said Tamm.

"Looking southward in Europe, there are already serious flood damages. We haven't reached that point in Estonia yet, but it's only a matter of time," noted Toots.

​Heavy rain again hit the Southern Estonian city of Tartu Tuesday morning, causing flooding.

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