Heavy rainfall hits Paris after recent heatwave

Heavy rainfall hit Paris on Tuesday evening after a recent heatwave across France, affecting metro stations in the French capital.

The RATP transport organisation said several Paris metro stations had been affected by flooding after the rainfall. Meteo France has said that much of southern France could be hit by storms later this week.

Earlier, a wildfire advanced through the Gironde region of southwestern France on Wednesday, destroying homes and forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents, some of whom had clambered onto rooftops as the flames got closer.

More than 1,000 firefighters backed by water-bombing aircraft were fighting the fire that has razed more than 6,000 hectares and is still burning out of control.

France, like the rest of Europe, is struggling with successive heatwaves and its worst drought on record. Dozens of wildfires are ablaze across the country, including at least four other major ones.

In the village of Hostens in the Gironde, police went door to door telling residents to leave as the fire advanced. Camille Delay fled with her partner and her son, grabbing their two cats, chickens and house insurance papers before taking flight.

Also Read: Drought in England, fires rage in France as heatwave persists 

“Everyone in the village climbed onto their rooftops to see what was happening – within ten minutes a little twist of smoke became enormous,” the 30-year-old told Reuters by telephone.