Warsaw mayor warns of risk to thousands of people

Floods in Poland have left 15 people dead as central Europe experiences its worst flooding in decades.

Munich Re estimates the cost of the floods in in region so far at less than €1bn (£855m), although the Polish government believes the costs could reach 10bn zloty (£2.04bn) if the flood continues.

The floods affected southern Poland at first, but as the country’s biggest river, the Vistula, has now burst its banks in central Poland, flooding is soon expected to hit the capital of Warsaw. The city’s mayor warned that tens of thousands of people are at risk. Other countries affected include Slovakia, Serbia and the Czech Republic. Poland’s government has confirmed it has set aside 2m zloty in aid for people who have lost their homes to the floods.