there are news in Germany that the radioactivity in the environment of Fukushima 1 is already 20 times as high as normal. Caesium has been detected.
Yes, reports are indicating radiation levels of over 1000 mSv. 1 hour of exposure to that level of radiation is equivalent to 1 year's worth of exposure to "normal amounts" of radiation.
For those who are not familiar with nuclear power reactions, cesium is not a normal byproduct of a controlled reaction. Instead, the detection of cesium indicates that the fuel rods have breached the water coolant line (exposed to air within the reactor containment vessel) and are undergoing uncontrolled reactions (the precursor to a meltdown).
We can therefore guess that the water level has dropped and that fuel rods are now exposed, but TEPCO continues to deny having any information, so our best guess is still only speculative.
Because of the high radiation levels, TEPCO has decided to put its workers on rotation to minimize their individual exposure to radiation. Despite keeping the safety of the workers in mind, I fear that this decision may cause the process to slow down even more, in a situation where time is absolutely critical.
To get a better understanding of the scale of the problem: a nuclear reactor, under normal conditions, takes at least 48 hours to cool down properly. Inoperable pumps will of course lengthen that time. However, as fuel rods become exposed, their temperatures will increase (with increased uncontrolled reactions), which will only require even more cooling and thus an even longer amount of time.