Southwestern France was hit by heavy flooding following days of torrential rain, and several other regions including eastern Paris were onflood alert ahead of a cold snap expected later this week, writes France24.

The worst flooding was in Saintes, 115 km north of Bordeaux, where the river Charente stood at a near-record level of 6.20 metres. The waters were at waist level in several streets and knee-deep in large parts of the town.

Hundreds of people were evacuated as water seeping into cellars knocked out power supplies. Local authorities laid beams on cinder blocks so residents could walk from flooded houses to dry land.

“We knew this was in a flood zone, but not that the area could flood up to this point, otherwise we would never have taken this flat”, - said Saintes resident Cyril Cheransac, who had to leave the apartment where he has lived for less than a year.

Fire brigade chief Pascal Leprince said his services had evacuated about 400 people in Saintes and he estimated that up to 800 people had left their houses on their own.