Five people drowned in southern Germany, with several more missing and thousands of homes without electricity.

Some parts of central France have seen their worst floods in over a century. The body of an elderly woman was found in her flooded home.

Thousands left their homes in France, with thousands of emergency calls made.

Heavy showers are forecast right through the weekend across a band of central Europe from France to Ukraine, with as much as 50mm (2in) of rain falling in some parts in just a few hours.

`Totally under water`

After a day of respite on Wednesday in central France, the region is braced for a further rise in already exceptionally high river levels.

The Loiret department, south of Paris, is on red alert, with seven others one level lower.

Nearly 10,000 homes are without electricity.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls visited the stricken town of Nemours on Wednesday.

Its mayor said 3,000 people had been evacuated from the town centre.

The town`s Loing river, a tributary of the Seine, now has levels not seen since the devastating floods of 1910.

"The centre of town is totally under water. All the businesses have been destroyed," said mayor Valerie Lacroute.

Gwen Bonpaix, 18, who lives in Montcourt Fromonville, 5km (3.1 miles) from Nemours, told the BBC part of the village was flooded.

"The electricity doesn`t work, and we can`t use our toilet because the sewers are also getting flooded," she said.

"My home hasn`t been flooded yet, but the water has already reached the garden, and it`s still raining. We`re going to leave before we get stuck here."

German deaths

The deadliest incident was in Simbach am Inn in Bavaria, southern Germany, where a woman, 78, her daughter, 56, and granddaughter, 28, were all found drowned in the basement of their house.

In the nearby village of Julbach, a drowned woman, 80, was found hanging over a tree trunk in a stream.

A 75-year-old man was the latest to be found dead, in Simbach. Several people are missing.

Bavaria Governor Horst Seehofer promised speedy help, saying his state "won`t abandon those affected, some of whom have lost their whole homes".

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