Hundreds of residents in the Czech Republic and Germany have been forced to flee their homes after severe flooding caused by melting snow and heavy rains.
In Germany, the flooded Elbe river breached a dam in Dresden and about 300 people have been evacuated, city spokesman Sven Kindler said. The Elbe spilled over its banks in three different points in Dresden.
South of Dresden, soldiers were deployed in six cities along the flooded Elbe. Among those affected was Miessen, where a dozen people had to be evacuated from a retirement home. A total of eight cities in Germany were affected by floods , with a total of 1,300 people forced to leave their homes.
According to the weather authority for the state of Saxony, the Elbe water levels rose to 7.3 metres today and was expected to peak in the next 48 hours.
In Austria, water levels receded slightly on the Danube and its major tributaries in the province of Lower Austria, and authorities expected to lower Austria's flood warning levels by this evening.
Earlier in the week, the Danube spilled over its banks in Upper Austria, prompting authorities to close some roads. Anti-flood barriers were raised throughout the Czech capital, Prague, where the Vltava River levels receded overnight but was rising again today, City Hall said.
Authorities were assessing the situation late this evening and would decide whether to take further preventive measures, such as evacuating residents and closing some underground stations, 17 of which were inundated during the 2002 floods.
AP