Germany and France most effected
WEB DESK /
Europe is in the grip of floods triggered by days of torrential rain. Forecasters have warned of more torrential downpours, which are likely to worsen flood hit areas of western Europe.
At least seven people have been killed and thousands have been forced from their homes.
Germany and France are among the worst affected countries. Heavy rains across Europe have left at least 10 people dead, most of them in Germany where several people are missing.
The German states of Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate, which have already been hit by four days of severe flooding, have been warned to expect further storms.
Water levels are expected to continue rising in both states, along with parts of North Rhine-Westphalia in the west, forecasters warned. Six people have died in flooding in Lower Bavaria.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel paid tribute to those who had lost their lives.
“The federal government is grieving for those who received help too late,” she said, adding that the response to the disaster showed how “we stick together in Germany.”
PIC-DW
In France, the world’s most visited museum, the Louvre in Paris, will remain close today amid worsening flood situation. The move will allow staff to move works at risk of damage to higher parts of the gallery.
The museum houses Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous painting Mona Lisa. Another much visited attraction, the Musee d’Orsay, shut its doors yesterday.
The Seine, which runs through Paris past the Louvre, has risen five metres above normal levels. In Paris, a Metro line has also been shut down as more rain has been predicted during the weekend.