Thousands have been evacuated and at least ten people killed as western Europe's flood crisis worsens.
Parts of France have been hit by their worst flooding in a century.
It's hit the capital Paris and forced the world's most popular museum, the Louvre, to shut down.
The rushing water sounds more like a scene from the French countryside, but it's actually running through the centre of Paris.
The swollen Seine River is expected to peak at six metres, leaving residents marvelling at the sight of the city's famous landmarks swamped.
(Translated)"It's quite impressive to see the Seine like this. I have never seen the river reach levels this high so quickly and it's not only that. The current is very strong."
"We're used to passing under that bridge over there but right now we weren't expecting this. We wanted to come and see but we didn't expect for it to be so high."
In the French capital, the flooding has closed metro rail lines and the Louvre and Orsay museums as authorities work to move artwork to higher ground and away from the danger of inundation.
But elsewhere, it's the human cost that's the biggest tragedy as the flooding turns fatal.
An 86 year-old woman was found dead in her house south-west of Paris, while entire towns are evacuated.
Residents of Nemour are stunned by the speed of the flash flooding.
"It's tragic for the town. We are not very rich so a natural disaster that destroys our city centre hits us very hard."
"It breaks my heart. I thought these things only happened on TV . Some of my relatives have lost everything."
The town has effectively been divided in two as the Loire River breaks its banks, reaching levels not seen for more than a hundred years.
Relief centre staff are working around the clock to provide supplies for those trying to reach the stranded.
(Translated) "People taking supplies to their friends or relatives, to older people that are still staying at home because they don't want to leave their house but the electricity has been cut for more than a day now and it's starting to get cold inside and they need water, clothes, coffee, things like that. We need to help that's all."
French President Francois Hollande has declared a state of emergency in the worst-hit areas and called for greater global action to tackle climate change.
"In a way, these catastrophes show that the climate can be for months that are not usually the hottest, the hottest months we've ever known since the history of the weather itself and now to have such bad weather as this with people who have to be displaced, with emergency interventions, rescues. So when there are climate phenomena of such seriousness, we must all be conscious that it's on a world scale that we must act."
The flooding is also wreaking havoc in other parts of Europe, and left Germany counting the dead.
In the Bavarian town of Simbach am Inn, this resident says there was little warning.
(Translated) "The water came so fast, it was up at the first floor within five minutes. We saved ourselves by going into the attic and attached red cloths to a broom-handle and waved out of the window for people to come and get us, and after about three hours my grandson climbed onto the roof and the helicopter then reacted."
With more downpours forecast over the next few days, the crisis is far from over.
