France hit by more than 35 days of rain

France has marked a record-breaking streak of more than 35 consecutive days of rain.

National weather service Meteo-France said the country was experiencing its longest series of rainy days since measurements began in 1959, breaking the 2023 record.

Four departments in western France were placed under red alert for the risk of flooding, with officials expecting the situation to worsen with the arrival of Storm Pedro, which is poised to batter swaths of Western Europe.

The new rainfall could “fuel the current floods”, said Lucie Chadourne-Facon, director of flood alert service Vigicrues.

The mayor of Bordeaux, Pierre Hurmic, activated the southwestern city’s emergency plan for the first time since record floods in 1999.

In the western town of Chalonnes-sur-Loire, on the left bank of the Loire, a man went missing on Tuesday evening after his canoe capsized, said senior official Francois Pesneau.

Nine departments were placed on orange alert, the second-highest level.

The affected regions will see drier weather from Friday, said Chadourne-Facon, adding, however, that “the end of the rain does not mean the end of the flooding.”