Twenty French departments on orange alert on flood risks

PARIS, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- French weather agency Meteo France on Monday has put 20 regions, including the Ile-de-France, on orange alert on floods risk.

In its forecast, the weather agency expected widespread floods in east and north of the country in addition in the Alpes where avalanche risks is also placed on orange alert.

The agency maintained the alert system in these areas till Tuesday morning.

Images published by local media showed roads in eastern department of Haute-Marne were overflowed. In Paris, the Seine River reached a peak of 4.25 meters, triggering concerns over floods risk.

Following day-long rainfall, the government asked people to show high vigilance and take the appropriate precautions. Citizens were also called on to avoid surrounding areas of watercourse.

In 2016, floods hit Paris and central French cities, leaving four dead and 24 others wounded. Enditem