Frankfurt, Jun 2 (IANS): Over 600 people were evacuated from their homes as heavy rain caused catastrophic flooding in southern Germany, reports local media.

Continuous rainfall over several days has caused water levels to rise in several rivers in Germany, including the Donau, Neckar, and Guenz, leading to widespread flooding in coastal cities and towns.

Water levels in many areas have reached their highest levels in a century, reports Xinhua news agency.

Two of the hardest-hit southern German states are Bavaria and Baden-Wuterttemberg.

According to the local authorities, as of 2 a.m. local time (0000 GMT) on Sunday, ten districts in Bavaria have declared a state of emergency, and over 670 residents of the district Neuburg-Schrobenhausen are being evacuated.

The German Weather Service has issued the highest level of severe weather warnings for several districts in southern Germany. In the city of Meckenbeuren of Baden-Wuerttemberg, some 1,300 people were also asked to leave their homes due to the risk of flooding.