Paris is so flooded, people now appear to be swimming in the streets

Just days before thousands of football fans are due to descend on the country for the European Championship, France has suffered severe flooding following an unseasonal bout of rain.

One of the worst affected areas has been the capital, Paris, where the the Seine, the city's main river, has risen to 6.2 metres.

While the river was described by the Independent's Paris correspondent as a "menacingly broad band of fast-flowing muddy water", it hasn't stopped locals diving in for a swim.

In fact, the water is so high that one group were even spotted swimming on the other side of the railings from the river at the Pont de l'Alma - above the pavement where people would usually be strolling along the bank in June sunshine:

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