Floods cause chaos across Europe – in pictures

Highways and fields are completely flooded near the eastern Bavarian city of Deggendorf Photograph: Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters

Residents clean up debris in Grimma, Germany Photograph: Action Press/Rex Features

This part of Saxony in Germany looks more like Venice Photograph: Action Press/Rex Features

Rescuers help a resident escape from a house surrounded by water in Deggendorf Photograph: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa/Corbis

Firefighters are central to the defence efforts Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Their hoses are being used to send the rising groundwater back out into the Elbe river Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

An army truck drives through water by the Elbe near Strehla, Germany Photograph: Matthias Hiekel/dpa/Corbis

The Czech Republic has also been hit by disastrous floods. Here in Cesky Krumlov, water cascades around properties Photograph: Profimedia/Barcroft Media

In the town of Meissen, the water is so deep even the road signs are submerged Photograph: Ruben Neugebauer/Demotix/Corbis

The maximum water level will be reached on Friday morning, forecasters predict Photograph: Ruben Neugebauer/Demotix/Corbis

A local makes preparations for the flood in Radebeul near Dresden Photograph: Ruben Neugebauer/Demotix/Corbis

Volunteers confer as they stack sandbags in the central German town of Calbe Photograph: Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images

For some, like these residents in Hrensko in the Czech Republic, paddling out is the only option Photograph: David W Cerny/REUTERS