Severe thunderstorms are expected to hit Paris and surrounding areas on Tuesday night as the French capital hosts the Olympics.
France's National Meteorological Service has issued an orange alert, saying there is a risk of thunderstorms, heavy rain, localized hail and gusty winds from 6pm local time after Friday's Olympic opening ceremony in heavy rain.
The interactive map below shows stormy weather will continue Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
An orange alert means there is a significant risk of severe weather that could have significant impacts, including damage and destruction. This may include strong winds, heavy rain, thunderstorms, snow or ice, extreme heat or other hazardous weather conditions.
This is the third level of a four-level weather warning system used by the agency.
When an Orange Alert is issued, the public is advised to stay informed of local weather updates, follow safety instructions, and take appropriate precautions to protect themselves and their property.
Météo-France has also issued a yellow alert for extreme heat from Tuesday night until midnight Wednesday. Temperatures reached 89 degrees at lunchtime Tuesday and are expected to remain in the upper 70s for much of the rest of the week.
Triathlon training was canceled for a second day on Monday because of contaminated water in the Seine, thought to be caused by heavy rains that flooded Paris' sewer system.
“Paris 2024 and World Triathlon reaffirm that athlete health is a top priority,” Olympic organizers and triathlon's governing body wrote in a joint statement.
“Yesterday's test on the Seine [Sunday] It has been revealed that the International Triathlon Federation believes that water quality levels do not provide sufficient guarantee for the hosting of the event. This was due to the rain in Paris on July 26-27.
Weekly newspaper Paris 2024 organizers have been contacted via email for information.
Michael Reeves/Getty Images
Leading up to the Games, there had long been concerns about the use of the Seine for official Olympic events. The level of pollution has been such a talking point that Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a dip in the river to reassure doubters that the Seine was safe.
Tests in June showed the Siene was nowhere near Olympic standards. “Good quality” water requires less than 500 E. coli colony-forming units per 100 milliliters of water and passes debris and turbidity tests. Tests found water levels at or above 5,000 units.
France is reportedly spending $1.5 billion cleaning up the Seine ahead of this year's Olympics. The river was declared biologically dead in the 1960s because its toxic environment could not support life. In 1923, swimming in the river was also banned.
Organizers have tried hard not to let the rainy opening ceremony dampen the atmosphere of the Olympics.
The Seine played a key role as a fleet of ships transported athletes from various countries. Organizing committee chairman Tony Estanguet said he checked the weather forecast “more than 400 times” before the ceremony.
Coordinated arson attacks hit several train lines in France last week, throwing thousands of people's travel plans into chaos. There were delays on a number of high-speed lines, including Eurostar services to London.
A “far left” activist was arrested in connection with the attack.
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