Watch Berlin's heaviest rain in 110 years turn subway stairs into a waterfall and roads into rivers

Heavy rains in Germany have caused severe flooding in Berlin, leading to the deployment of 700 firefighters. The downpour began just after midday on Thursday 29 June and did not stop until the late evening, bringing the German capital to a standstill, according to European news site The Local.

The city was also brought to a standstill the previous day, with water levels reaching knee-height in some parts. Dominik Jung of the weather website wetter.net told the German newspaper Bild it was the heaviest rainfall Berlin had seen in 110 years.

The fire service said they had been called 2,000 times by 9pm on 29 June, and the wail of sirens was a constant backdrop to gushing floodwaters and heavy rain throughout the day.

"It is gradually getting calmer," a fire services spokesman said on Friday morning.

Berlin's roads and public transport services remain heavily disrupted on Friday, although Tegel airport is reportedly operating normally.

Videos shared on social media showed floodwater pouring into subway stations and onto city buses.

Some 600 firefighters are still on deployment in the city and their ranks have been bolstered by several hundred volunteers. Many parts of Germany will continue to be battered by 75km/h winds and heavy rainfall throughout the rest of Friday and over the weekend.