Parts of northern Greece around the Maritsa river (Evros in Greece) remained in a state of emergency as flooding caused by heavy rainfall in the area and bulging rivers from Bulgaria in recent days submerged dozens of homes and large tracts of farmland.

According to Greek daily Kathimerini, more than 16 000 hectares of land were flooded while 70 homes have been damaged by rising water levels.

Bulgarian meteorologists say that there is worse to come over the weekend, as more rain and rising temperatures in Bulgaria will cause rapid snow melting in most mountains, with most being drained south towards Greece and Turkey.

In Greece, worst affected were the villages in Lavara and Poros while several other settlements close to the Maritsa River remained on alert. Estimates of the damage to homes and infrastructure by the flood were said to be about seven million euro.

Areas around the Turkish city of Edirne remain submerged after Bulgarian authorities vented water from the Arda dam, Turkey's Hurriyet said. Bulgarian authorities earlier warned their Turkish counterparts that dams would be vented to avoid an uncontrollable burst.

To make matters worse, the Maritsa River which burst its banks has joined in places with the Toundzha River, while the territory between has been transformed into a massive swamp. Media reports said that about 10 000 people residing in Karaagach were in danger because of the floods.

People living near the rivers are evacuating their property by tractors or any other means while schools have been closed because of the emergency situation. The Maritsa River also overflowed in the region of Uzunkopru. Residents of Ipsala have also been alerted due to rising water levels.