The French government is considering introducing restrictions on water consumption as of March after the country recorded 32 continuous days, beginning on January 21st, without rainfall exceeding an average 1 millimetre, the driest period on mainland France since records began in 1959.
At least 10 people are reported to have died in flash flooding in the Languedoc region of southern France where very heavy rainfall fell for an unusually long period overnight Sunday, with waters reaching a high of seven metres in some places.
Following heavy rainfall in northern France over recent weeks, the River Seine running through the middle of the French capital is expected to reach five metres above its average water level on Sunday evening, the highest level since June 2016, while about 650 people have been evacuated from their homes across the Paris region because of flooding.
The swollen Paris river reached its highest level since 1982 and is set to rise further late Friday, with evacuations planned for sites west of the capital.
