Petr Hladík told a Wednesday press conference that the rainfall over the coming four days could reach as much as a third of the annual total in some areas, particularly in eastern and central areas.

Meteorologists have said a cold front over Central and Eastern Europe will also affect parts of Austria, Poland, and Slovakia, Reuters reported.

“These are really extreme rainfalls that may come to the Czech territory," Hladík said. “There will be saturation of soil, forests, and flash floods may appear in places where they are not normally expected.

“Unfortunately, the situation that awaits us over the next five days is similar to the great floods of 1997 and 2002,” he added.

In 1997, 50 people died and thousands were left homeless when the Czech Republic was hit by what was called “the flood of the century.” The 2002 flood caused massive damage and at one point led to 50,000 people being evacuated from parts of Prague.

Referring to the new threat, the Czech weather authorities have also warned of high winds, which may constitute a hazard.

The Czech government has advised people to stay away from cultural events over the weekend and prepare for the possibility of evacuation.

Interior Minister Vít Rakušan has asked all mayors to check the flood and evacuation plans in their municipalities and urged organizers of social events to only carry out planned events if they are sure that they will take place safely. China’s Xinghua news agency reported.

The flood warning comes in the wake of record high temperatures in the regions which have seen water levels plummet in many rivers.