VIDEOS: Storms hit Paris and heavy rainfall floods eastern France
Olympic events disrupted by downpour
Dramatic floods completely submurged roads in the east (see inset)
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Guillaume Séchet/Meteovilles X
Heavy storms brought lightning and heavy rainfall to the north and east of France on Thursday evening (August 1), leading to dramatic images being shared on social media.
Storm warnings remain in a number of departments in the east of France today (August 2), as well as heightened river flooding warnings in Seine-et-Marne, Vosges, and Meurthe-et-Moselle after the heavy rainfall.
Read more: Storms ease, highs of 34C: French weekend weather outlook August 2 - 4
Rainfall began early in the evening in Paris, affecting some of the day’s final Olympic events, including a 3x3 basketball match between France and Serbia.
Thunder and lightning light up skies in the capital and surrounding suburbs.
Impressive photos and videos of the storms can be seen below:
Intense flooding in Vosges
In the eastern Vosges department, rainfall led to flooding from the Madon river, particularly in the Dompaire commune.
Up to 100 mm of rain fell in around three hours, causing the river level to rise by around four metres in this time.
The river burst its banks in a number of areas, flooding fields, homes, and roads.
Some roads in the department were also temporarily blocked after the stormy weather felled trees, and others have been closed due to flooding.
Official advice if you are driving in the department is to check your route before setting out and to avoid any roads that are flooded, even if they remain open and only partially compromised.
There are no reports of serious injuries from the storms.
Some residents in the Damas-et-Bettegney commune were evacuated from their homes, and an Ehpad (elderly care home) in Ville-sur-Illon lost power overnight. It led to three residents being temporarily rehomed whilst the power was out.
Prefect of the department Valérie Michel-Moreaux called the situation “worrying… but not catastrophic,” and said 150 callouts were made by firefighters throughout the evening.
Read more: Storms in France: what to do if at home, out walking or in car
