The water level of the Seine in Paris is close to a 30-year maximum

The water level of the Seine River in Paris has approached its 30-year maximum, and some stations of the Paris metro and some of the biggest sights of the French capital, including museums and parks, have been closed due to flooding, local media reported today.

The Louvre and Orsay museums were closed to visitors, and employees began moving works of art from the lower floors to the higher floors to avoid damage due to the rising water, reports the British BBC.

The Seine is forecast to rise to as high as 6,5 meters and is unlikely to recede over the weekend, with further rainfall expected.

After the Seine overflowed onto the streets of Paris, the Saint-Michel and Clinique-La Sorbonne metro stations were closed as a precaution.

Bridges on the Seine are also closed, and traffic is prohibited for all ships except those participating in rescue efforts.

The staff employed in the museum "Louvre" began to move 250.000 works of art from the basement to higher floors, due to the risk of flooding.

Heavy rainfall caused flooding from France to Ukraine, causing a total of 15 human casualties.

Two people died in the floods in France, ten people lost their lives in the south of Germany, two people died in Romania, and one in Belgium. In addition, floods affected Austria, the Netherlands and Poland.

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