AGENCIES
Paris,Jan 29: The swollen Seine peaked Monday at more than four metres above its normal level, leaving a lengthy mop-up job for Parisians after days of rising waters that have put the soggy city on alert.
The river rose to 5.85 metres early in the day, causing continued headaches for commuters as well as people living near its overflowing banks.
The Vigicrues flooding agency said the river would stay at its current level throughout the day before beginning to recede Tuesday. “It’s been a gradual rise, so you can’t really call it a ‘peak’ — we prefer to say it has plateaued,” said Rachel Puechberty, a spokeswoman for the agency.
Light rain was forecast for Monday but was not expected to push the Seine higher — though water levels were likely to stay high for at least a week, Ms Puechberty said.
Around 1,500 people had been evacuated from their homes in the greater Paris region, according to police, while 1,900 households were without electricity.
Tourism also took a hit with the capital’s Bateaux Mouches river cruise boats put out of service, and only emergency services authorised to navigate the Seine.