After week of flooding most swollen rivers stabilised or receding

After a week of severe flooding, most of the swollen rivers in the Czech Republic have either stabilised or begun to recede. Though people have begun returning to their homes in many parts of the country, there are fears of more flooding, with heavy rains expected on Wednesday.

A state of emergency has been declared in seven of the country's 14 regions; it will remain in place until next Monday.

Economists say the damage caused by this year's floods will be considerably lower than that seen in 1997 and 2002, though accurate estimates will have to wait until the flood waters recede completely. The Czech Republic's European commissioner, Vladimir Spidla, has said he will raise the question of possible financial aid from the European Union Solidarity Fund at the Commission.