As Storm Boris brought devastating floods to central and eastern Europe, skeptics on social media dismissed the role of climate change in making the deadly rainfall more intense. But scientists have established ties between a warmer atmosphere and torrential rain,

Just a week ago, before deadly floods swept through central Europe, the Czech Republic looked on track to become the first country in the region since COVID-19 to pull its budget deficit firmly below the 3% of GDP cap set by European Union rules.

Central European countries have suffered enormous damage to infrastructure and housing during the current flooding that has claimed 24 lives in the region. European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday pledged billions of euros for flood recovery.

At least 23 people have now died in Europe's flood disaster as the Polish city of Wrocław sees the level of the Oder river peak and Austria begins planning for "years" of reconstruction. The water level on the Oder river flowing through Poland's fourth-largest city Wrocław peaked overnight and is expected to stay high for some time,

Soldiers and volunteers in southwestern Poland have been laying sandbags near swollen rivers around Wroclaw. Days of flooding have wreaked death and destruction across Central Europe.