Up to 20,000 people have been evacuated in the German city of Cologne after three unexploded WWII bombs were discovered, writes dailymail.co.uk.

A large part of the city centre has been cordoned off as experts prepared to defuse the explosives on Wednesday morning.

The US-manufactured weapons, which have gone unnoticed for 80 years, are two 90kg bombs and one 45 kg bomb, which were discovered in the borough of Deutz in central Cologne on Monday.

The size of the explosives means that a 1,000 metre danger zone has had to be sealed off, with residents and business owners instructed to leave the area from 8am local time today.

The city`s evacuation zone includes the entire old part of Cologne, 58 hotels, three bridges, the townhall, the train station, as well as several museums, a hospital and two care homes.