PARIS — Floodwaters reached a peak in Paris on Monday and were threatening towns downstream along the rain-engorged Seine River as it winds through Normandy toward the English Channel.
Rivers swollen by France’s heaviest rains in 50 years have engulfed romantic quays in Paris, swallowed up gardens and roads, halted riverboat cruises — and raised concerns about climate change.
The national weather service Meteo France said Monday that January has seen nearly double normal rainfall nationwide, and that the rains in the past two months are the highest measured for the period in 50 years.
“I’m amazed. I’ve come to Paris since 1965, most years, and I’ve never seen the Seine as high,” said Terry Friberg, visiting from Boston. “I love Paris with all my heart but I’m very worried about the level of the river.”
Flood monitoring agency Vigicrues said the water levels in Paris hit a maximum height of 19 feet, 2 inches on the Austerlitz scale early Monday.
That’s below initial fears last week, and well below record levels of 28.2 feet in 1910, but still several yards above normal levels of about 4.5 feet on the Austerlitz scale.
And the waters are expected to stay unusually high for days or weeks.