Having been briefed about the situation on the ground by Civil Protection commander Srečko Šestan, Cerar visited the municipality of Ig on the outskirts of Ljubljana, his office said in a press release.

Cerar, who is following reports about the floods "with apprehension", said he had tasked relevant institutions two weeks ago to draft a list of measures to deal with the consequences of this year's floods as well as measures to prevent further damage in the most endangered areas.

Later in the day the prime minister is expected to visit the towns of Ilirska Bistrica, Cerknica and Lož, all in the direction from Ljubljana towards the coast in the south-west of the country, his office told the STA.

Besides Ig and the municipality of Dobrepolje, south-east of Ljubljana, these three areas seem to be the worst affected by the latest floods, which were caused by persistent rain and rising underground waters.

The situation is however improving as it has largely stopped raining, and considerably less rain is forecast for the next few days.

Still, rivers in the west could further rise today, while intermittent lakes in the Ljubljana Marshes as well as in the Karst areas of Notranjsko (S of Ljubljana) and Dolenjsko (S and SW of the capital, respectively) could also rise.

According to public broadcaster TV Slovenija, the level of Cerknica Lake rose by one metre in 24 hours, so prenetive measures are being put in place to protect the nearby people and houses.

Cerar called a government meeting for tomorrow to debate flood safety after the country has been stricken by floods for the fourth time this year.

The ministers will be joined by state officials and external experts to debate the consequences of the floods as well as long-term flood safety measures.

People from the affected areas are increasingly unhappy with the management of rivers, drawing attention to the lack of funds to secure proper flood safety.

The floods-related damage has not yet been full assessed, but the October floods in the area around Škofja Loka, north-west of Ljubljana, were estimated to cause over EUR 30m in damage in a single day.