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Paris remains on high alert as Seine continues to rise Swollen Seine peaks in Paris
(about 5 hours later)
The river is now more than four metres above its normal height but expected to peak at 5.95m on Monday City faces lengthy cleanup as water reaches 5.84 metres, just shy of levels seen in 2016
Agence France-Presse in ParisAgence France-Presse in Paris
Mon 29 Jan 2018 03.09 GMTMon 29 Jan 2018 03.09 GMT
First published on Sun 28 Jan 2018 11.43 GMTFirst published on Sun 28 Jan 2018 11.43 GMT
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The Seine has continued to rise and was expected to peak early on Monday, keeping Paris on alert and bringing the prospect of a lengthy cleanup operation. The swollen Seine has peaked at more than four metres above its normal level, leaving a lengthy mop-up job for Parisians after days of rising waters.
The river’s level rose to 5.82 metres (19 feet) on Sunday, more than four metres above its normal level, causing problems for commuters and residents near its overflowing banks. The river rose to 5.84 metres (19.2 feet) early on Monday morning, causing problems for commuters as well as people living near its overflowing banks.
The capital’s Bateaux Mouches rivercraft were out of service, and only emergency services were authorised to navigate the Seine. The Vigicrues flooding watchdog said the river would stay at its current level throughout the day before beginning to recede on Tuesday.
The Vigicrues flooding agency has predicted that the river will peak at 5.95 metres (19.5ft) by Monday morning, not quite reaching the 2016 high of 6.1 metres, when the Louvre was forced to shut for four days. Around 1,500 people have been evacuated from their homes, according to police, while a similar number of properties remain without electricity.
But the world’s most-visited museum was on high alert on Sunday, along with the Musée d’Orsay and Musée de l’Orangerie, with the lower level of the Louvre’s Islamic arts wing closed to visitors at least until Monday. The capital’s famous Bateaux Mouches rivercraft service was suspended and only emergency services were authorised to use the river.
A statue of an Algerian-French army soldier from the Crimean war named Zouave, which has guarded the river at Pont de l’Alma bridge since 1910, was drenched up to the thighs. The Seine did not quite reach its 2016 high of 6.1 metres, when priceless artworks had to be evacuated from the Louvre.
Police again warned Parisians against bathing or canoeing in the river, saying it was “forbidden and extremely dangerous”. But the world’s most visited museum was still on alert on Sunday, along with the Musée d’Orsay and Orangerie galleries, with the lower level of the Louvre’s Islamic arts wing closed to visitors until at least Monday.
More favourable weather is expected for the week ahead, and Vigicrues has lowered its warning level from orange to yellow in several areas upstream of the capital. A statue of an Algerian French army soldier from the Crimean war named Zouave that has guarded the river at the Pont d’Alma bridge in central Paris since 1910 was drenched up to its thighs in the muddy waters.
But even once the water levels start to recede, forecasters and officials say it will be a slow process, as much of the ground in northern France is waterlogged. “Fluctuat nec mergitur (tossed but not sunk) but it’s cooold,” the Zouave statue tweeted from an account set up in its name by an anonymous admirer, using the city’s Latin motto.
Jérôme Goellner, the regional head of environmental services, said: “If we’re talking about things getting completely back to normal, that’s going to take weeks.” Police again warned against bathing or canoeing in the river, saying it was “forbidden and extremely dangerous”.
Police say about 1,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in the greater Paris region, while about 1,500 homes were without electricity. More favourable weather is expected for the week ahead, but even once the water levels start to recede forecasters and officials say it will be a slow process, as much of the ground in northern France is already waterlogged.
Some basements in Paris began to see leaks on Friday, and a health centre in the north-western suburbs, where 86 patients were receiving care, was evacuated because of flooding. “If we’re talking about things getting completely back to normal, that’s going to take weeks,” said Jérôme Goellner, regional head of environmental services.
This December-January period is the third-wettest since data collection began in 1900, according to France’s meteorological service. The December-January period is now the third wettest on record since data collection began in 1900, according to France’s meteorological service.
However, fears of flooding like that of 1910, which saw the Seine rise to 8.62 metres, shutting down much of Paris’s basic infrastructure, appeared unfounded. A main commuter line, the RER C, will not stop in the city until at least 5 February, and some expressways that run alongside the Seine have been closed.
A main commuter line, the RER C, has halted service at Paris stops indefinitely, and some roads that run alongside the Seine have been closed. However, fears of flooding like that seen in 1910, which saw the Seine rise to 8.62 metres and shut down much of Paris’s basic infrastructure, appeared unfounded.
The Seine flows through a deep channel in Paris, limiting the potential flooding damage to riverside structures. In the city centre, the Seine flows through a deep channel, limiting the potential flooding damage.
But several areas on the city’s outskirts are under water, such as the south-eastern suburb of Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, where some residents were getting around by boat and dozens have been evacuated from their homes. But several areas on the city’s outskirts were under water, including the southern suburb of Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, where some residents were getting around by boat and dozens have been evacuated from their homes.
ParisParis
FranceFrance
FloodingFlooding
EuropeEurope
Natural disasters and extreme weatherNatural disasters and extreme weather
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