Winter thaw floods German rivers

Heavy rain and melting winter snow have caused many rivers in Germany to burst their banks, flooding several cities and large swathes of the country.

Along the river Rhine, in the west of the country, the problem has been particularly bad with water levels peaking in Koblenz, where the Rhine meets the River Mosel.

Heavy snowfall in December combined with unseasonably warm weather this month has resulted in as many as 30 villages being overwhelmed with the ground floors of hundreds of properties submerged.

In the town of Cochem elevated walkways have been set up to get round what is becoming an almost annual problem. For many the worst is yet to come. A large clean up is expected once the waters subside.

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