Five people died in the storm that hit eastern Romania today, while in the Czech Republic, river water levels reached dangerous levels in a dozen areas across the country, flooding houses and roads in several towns and villages.

The official services in several Central European countries announced that this weekend large floods will affect the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Germany, Slovakia and Hungary, and in the meantime the first snow has already fallen in the higher places.

Romanian rescue services battled to save 95 people in the hard-hit eastern Romanian districts of Galati and Vaslui, the Department of Emergency Situations said, AP reports.

The bodies of three elderly women and two men were found in the towns of Pekea, Dragusheni, Kostake Negri and Korod, the statement said.

A Black Hawk helicopter has been deployed to Galata to assist in search and rescue missions.

The storm hit 19 places in eight counties in Romania, and strong winds toppled dozens of trees, damaging cars and blocking roads and traffic.

Romanian Environment Minister Mircea Feket told the AP that in some flooded areas more than 160 liters of rain fell per square meter, which he noted is rare.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis today expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and pointed out that it is necessary to "strengthen the capacities to prevent extreme weather phenomena" in the face of climate change.

"The severe floods that affected a large part of the country claimed lives and caused considerable damage. We are once again facing the effects of climate change, which are increasingly present throughout the European continent, with dramatic consequences for people," he warned.

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Cholaku canceled planned activities in order to travel to the Galati area and assess the consequences.

Heavy rains and strong winds left more than 63.000 households without power, Czech electricity distribution company CEZ said.

In Brno, the Czech Republic's second-largest city, a hospital was evacuated, along with dozens of civilians, while several train lines were closed after being flooded or felled by trees.

Heavy rains also hit Moldova today, where emergency services pumped water from dozens of houses in several places, the government said.

Meanwhile, in Poland, dozens of people were evacuated as a precaution from two villages near the city of Nis after forecasters warned of unprecedented rainfall and water levels in some rivers rose dangerously, Interior Minister Tomasz Simoniak said. warning that “The worst is yet to come.

"We have to be prepared for the worst case scenario. We have a difficult weekend ahead of us," said Czech Prime Minister Petr Fijala after the meeting of the government's central crisis committee.

The affected area covers several countries - from the Eastern Alps and the Adriatic Sea to southwestern Poland, and until Sunday evening, precipitation of 50 to 100 liters per square meter is expected in that area, writes Deutsche Welle today.

From southeastern Bavaria through northern Austria, the Czech Republic and western Slovakia to southern Poland, as much as 100 to 350 liters of rain per square meter is possible in some areas.

The German Meteorological Service warns that the south and east of Bavaria will be hit by heavy rain and storms in the next few days.

In the district of Berchtesgadener Land, in the very south-east of the country, storms and heavy rains with 80 to 120 liters of rain per square meter are possible until Sunday.

A disaster warning has been issued for several counties in the Alpine region.

Continuous rain is expected from Friday in the belt from Lusatia through the Czech Forest to the eastern edge of the Alps.

In the Alps, snow will fall at elevations "between 1.300 and 1.500 meters, so a significant start to winter is imminent in the mountains," DWD meteorologist Nico Bauer said.

During the night between Thursday and Friday, the first snow already fell on the higher places, especially on the Zugspitze.

In the coming days, there could be up to fifty centimeters of new snow, and there is a danger of "breaking trees or larger branches under the weight of the snow," DWD warns.

The rains are caused by rare weather conditions in which warm air from the Mediterranean region meets cold polar air in the Alpine region. A lot of moisture from the recently very warm Mediterranean contributed to that to an extraordinary extent in the case of Cyclone Annette.

In Austria's Carinthia, heavy rains have already caused the Drava River to rise and precautionary measures have already been taken, with roads near the river closed as there is a risk to life.

In Slovenia, too, they fear rainfall of historic proportions, while the alpine villages in France fear a storm.