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Storm unleashes record rainfall on Paris

by Reuters
Monday, 10 July 2017 13:42 GMT

A man protects himself with an umbrella during heavy rain as he walks past French firefighters "Pompiers de Paris" during a rehearsal of the traditional Bastille Day military parade on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris, France, July 10, 2017. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

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A storm lashed Paris with the highest rainfall ever recorded in the French capital

PARIS, July 10 (Reuters) - A storm on Sunday night lashed Paris with the highest rainfall ever recorded in the French capital, while other areas of France's centre-west saw as much rain as would normally fall in the entire month of July.

Weather authority Meteo France said that 49.2 millimetres fell in one hour between 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. (1900-2000 GMT). The previous record for heavy rainfall in Paris was set on July 2, 1995, when 47.4 millimetres fell.

In total, 66 millimetres of rain fell on the city from 8:00 a.m. on Sunday to 8:00 a.m. on Monday. Civray, in the Vienne region, saw 86 millimetres of rain and Lons-le-Saunier, in the Jura region, saw 77 millimetres during the same period.

Metro services in Paris were disrupted into Monday morning. Social media footage showed water cascading down the steps onto the platform at one station, pouring from the ceiling in another, and commuters climbing fences to avoid walking through water.

(Writing by Mark Hanrahan in London; Editing by Catherine Evans)

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