France hit by torrential rains, floods

By Hajer M'tiri

PARIS (AA) - Torrential rains in France caused flooding in the eastern and northern parts of the country, with the Seine River rising in Paris and bursting its banks on Tuesday.

National weather agency Meteo France placed 30 of France's 101 departments on floods warning.

It said Normandy and much of the Paris region were affected, as were the mountainous regions of the Jura and the Alps and the Vosges, Meuse and Meurthe-et-Moselle in the east. The Dordogne and Gironde in the southwest were also under threat.

In the capital, water level of the Seine river rose to 4.57 meters (14.99 ft.) on Tuesday, according to the Paris municipality. It is expected to reach 6.10 meters (20 ft.) by Friday. The highest scale the Seine River has ever reached was 8 meters (26 ft.) during the great 1910 floods.

National train operator SNCF announced the suspension of the central section of the RER C train line which runs along the flooded River Seine from west to east.

The Paris municipality urged residents and visitors to be vigilant around the riverbanks, and said the high river levels were expected to last through the weekend.

The country's flood agency Vigicrues also warned people against the risk of power cuts, saying "even areas that rarely flood" could be inundated.