Water levels have risen rapidly in the Elbe and Vltava (Moldau) rivers in the Czech Republic. In the capital city of Prague, the rescue services have set up protective barriers as a precautionary measure.
We must be prepared for the worst, says the Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala after the government's crisis committee met.
A tough weekend lies ahead of us.
The rain does not seem to be letting up. Some areas in the Czech Republic and Poland can expect up to 400 millimeters of rain in the coming days.
Romania has also been hit by heavy rain, and in the eastern parts of the country, at least four people have died, according to the authorities. A larger number of people have also been rescued from their homes across the country.
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, and Hungary are also at risk of severe flooding due to heavy rainfall. According to the German news agency DPA, the water levels in the Elbe River may rise to four meters by the end of the week.
We are really racing against the clock here, says Michael Klahre, spokesperson for the rescue services in Dresden, at a press conference.
According to Eigil Kaas, professor at the University of Copenhagen, the rain is due to the increasingly warm climate in Europe. The ongoing low-pressure system is a result of strong fluctuations between warm and cold temperatures.
Since the 1900s, the temperature in Europe has risen by two degrees, which means that the atmosphere can hold up to 15 percent more water, he tells the Danish news agency Ritzau.
