Extreme weather: Flood threat lingers in Northern Europe

After two weeks of sustained rainfall, parts of northern France remain underwater. Towns and villages across the Pas-de-Calais department are only now seeing the extensive flooding begin to recede. 

Several thousand residents still have no access to clean drinking water and hundreds of homes are without electricity.

It’s a similar situation in parts of Belgium, particularly in Flanders. 

Farmers are among the worst affected by the lingering floods. The saturated soil means flood water stays on the surface. It will be some time before the full cost of the damage can be assessed.

And it’s not just rural communities. Major roads in Copenhagen were submerged after pumps that normally reduce excess rainwater were overwhelmed. 

After one of the hottest summers on record, Europe is now coping with an historically wet autumn.