The main opposition party has dominated Czech regional elections and is ahead in the first round of voting for Parliament’s upper house.

The opposition party ANO led by former Prime Minister Andrej Babis won 10 out of 13 regions in Czech regional elections and led in the first round of voting for Parliament's upper house. This strong performance boosts ANO's prospects for next year's general election.

The elections take place as the country was recovering from massive floods that hit Central Europe in recent days. The floods claimed at least 24 lives in the region, five of them in the Czech Republic.

Despite the flood disaster in the east of the country, two days of elections for the Senate and regional assemblies began in the Czech Republic on Friday. New assemblies are being elected in 13 regions,

By Albin Sybera Czechia braces for regional and Senate elections this weekend on September 20-21 just as the water levels from the huge floods which hit the wider Central European region are receding.