German authorities are watched the weather anxiously to see if the rapidly rising level of the Rhine river could lead to flooding in the west German cities of Koblenz and Cologne.
Water levels on the Rhine and other German rivers, including the Danube and the Main, have risen dramatically this week because of heavy rainfall throughout the country.
Authorities said shipping on the Rhine at Koblenz had been suspended, while traffic on the Danube below Regensburg and on sections of the Main river had also been halted.
Cologne city authorities said the level of the Rhine could reach 9.40 metres on tomorrow if heavy rain continued throughout today.
Officials have installed a mobile protective wall in Cologne to protect the city's historic centre from possible flooding should water levels rise above 10 metres.
Water levels were rising on the Danube between Kelheim and Passau and there had been flooding in some areas, the Munich-based Bavarian Water Board said