The danger from flooding seems to have peaked in Paris, where the River Seine has reached levels not seen in 30 years.

France's environment minister, Segolene Royal, said the Seine had breached six metres in central Paris, submerging roads running along the river, swamping small businesses on quaysides and forcing the closure of an underground commuter line.

There's been a scramble to shift works of art out of the Louvre and Orsay museums.

In the Louvre, workers stacked dozens of boxes marked fragile and containing valuable statues, vases and art works. Crates could be seen stacked in corridors, overlooked by classical marble statues.

And in outlying suburbs of the city, soldiers have been called in to help people evacuate their homes.