At least four people have died after widespread flooding
across eastern and central Europe.
More rainfall is expected in the coming days as surging
river levels have put authorities on alert.
Tens of thousands of homes have been damaged so far in
Romania and the Czech Republic, where more rain is forecast.
The four deaths took place in eastern Romania in Galati
County, where about 5,000 homes were damaged and 25,000 people were left
without power.
The bodies of three older women and one man have been
recovered, the Department for Emergency Situations said.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis offered his condolences to
the victims' families, saying: "We must continue to strengthen our
capacity to anticipate extreme weather phenomena.
"Severe floods that have affected a large part of the
country have led to loss of lives and significant damage.
"We are again dealing with the effects of climate
change, which are increasingly present throughout the European continent, with
dramatic consequences on people."
Meanwhile, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, southern Germany, and
parts of Austria also face more heavy rain.
'I feel sorry for the neighbours'
The north of the Czech Republic bore the brunt of the
country's flooding with more than 50,000 houses left without power, according
to local media.
Forecasters said that some parts of the country could see
more than a third of their average annual rainfall by Sunday, with a government
minister urging those in the worst-hit areas to prepare to leave their homes.
Police said a 54-year-old man is missing after he fell into
a flooded stream in the southeast of the country, while three people were
reportedly swept away in a car in the northeast and their whereabouts are
unknown.
In the village of Visnova, 87 miles (140km) north of Prague,
Roman Christof's cottage escaped damage because it was built on higher land.
"I feel sorry for the neighbours," he said as he
surveyed the floodwaters that had hit other locals.
Speaking about the weekend, Czech Republic Prime Minister
Petr Fiala said: "We have to be ready for worst-case scenarios. A tough
weekend is ahead of us."
'Disaster zones'
In neighbouring Austria, 24 villages in the northeast Lower
Austria province were declared by authorities to be "disaster zones"
and evacuation orders started on Saturday afternoon.
"The coming hours will be the hours of truth for flood
protection, for our emergency forces and numerous compatriots," said the
province's state governor, Johanna Mikl-Leitner, adding that in one area
"we expect challenges of historical dimensions".
Chancellor Karl Nehammer said: "The coming days will
still be extremely difficult and challenging for the affected population and
the emergency services."
In Vienna, special flood relief channels built in the 1970s
and 80s to drain the Danube River are expected to be tested over the weekend.
'Critical night' ahead
In Poland, ahead of the weekend, authorities appealed to
people to stock up on food and prepare for power outages.
Dozens of people have been evacuated from their homes in the
Nysa River basin as a precautionary measure after warnings of unprecedented
rainfall.
"We are facing a critical night, full mobilisation is
required," prime minister Donald Tusk said.
