ALFAFAR, Spain (Reuters) -Spanish rescuers opened a temporary morgue in a convention centre and battled to reach areas still cut off on Friday as the death toll from catastrophic floods rose to 205 people in Europe's worst weather disaster in five decades.

Spain PM said the government plans to spend as much as 838 million euros in direct cash handouts to people affected by the floods that left 217 dead last week in the worst such disaster in Spain’s modern history.

Spain has earmarked 10.6 billion euros ($11.55 billion) in loans and grants to help the victims of the flash floods that hit the eastern coast of the country around Valencia last week, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday.