There are fears that more heavy downpours forecast across a swathe of Europe may worsen floods that have already left five people dead.
Four people drowned in southern Germany, with two 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 were evacuated in France and thousands of emergency call-outs 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.
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.
