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Southern Netherlands ravaged by floods as thousands evacuated from 'disaster zone' in hard-hit Limburg province

Days of heavy rains have triggered major floods across parts of the Netherlands, with the southern Limburg province declared a disaster area as police, firefighters and even soldiers help thousands of residents to find shelter.

A number of towns and villages along the Meuse and Rur rivers in Limburg were advised to evacuate on Thursday, after water levels reached record highs following the downpour, Reuters reported. The national government deemed the province a disaster zone late on Thursday night, invoking a law which allows victims to be compensated for losses sustained during the floods.

The town of Valkenburg has been among the hardest-hit, with Mayor Daan Prevoo noting that a "river" is flowing through the city "that does not belong there."

Footage captured in Valkenburg showed just that, with massive quantities of murky water seen surging through its streets.

Maastricht, Limburg's provincial capital, is also expected to be inundated with floodwaters, with local authorities warning the town could be partially underwater by Friday night. Some 10,000 residents were evacuated in anticipation.

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The death toll in Europe shot past 180 on Sunday, while more parts of the continent were hit by disastrous floods caused by heavy rainfall.

At least 155 people were killed in Germany's western Rhineland-Palatinate region and neighboring North Rhine-Westphalia. The military was deployed to help rescue workers save people from rooftops and recover vehicles trapped in the floodwater.

Another 27 died in Belgium, where around 11,000 families were left without power in the Liege area. In Wallonia, some 20 villages were left without drinking water and rail infrastructure was damaged.

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By Sunday, the disaster hit Bavaria and Saxony, where city streets were flooded and around 130 people were evacuated. "The emergency calls are constantly coming in," a police spokesperson in Rosenheim told German media.

Railway giant Deutsche Bahn said that rail service between Bad Schandau and Decin, a town in the Czech Republic, has been disrupted. Rail traffic between Dresden and Prague was also affected.

In Switzerland, Lake Zurich broke its banks, and there are fears that lakes Lucerne, Biel and Thun will follow suit.

The water reached Hallein, a town near Salzburg in Austria on Saturday, after the river Kothbach burst its banks.