Paris under water as Seine bursts its banks after second-wettest winter on record

Paris remained on high alert on Thursday after the Seine burst its banks, flooding huge swathes of the city and its suburbs.

As water levels approached the six-metre mark, police and military personnel were deployed to Villeneuve-Saint-Georges to help evacuate residents to a nearby sports centre.

Many roads near the shores of the Seine were closed off, while six railway stations across the city have been closed until after the weekend.

Local news channel BFM Paris tweeted a video showing water leaking into one of the city's subway stations.

Meanwhile, the Louvre has announced that exhibits on the lower level of the Department of Islamic Art would be closed to the public until Sunday as a precaution, and emergency protective measures were being put into place.

No water had infiltrated the building as yet, officials said.

The Musee d'Orsay and the Orangerie also cancelled their weekly evening opening on Thursday in case works need to be moved.

It comes as weather experts reported the second-wettest winter since records began in 1900.

Between December 1 and January 24, Paris saw 183mm (7.2ins) of rainfall - with several days still left in the month.

While the weather improved in some areas on Wednesday, the rain is expected to return before the weekend.