PARIS, June 4 — The rain-swollen Seine River in Paris receded slightly today for the first time in a week after bursting its banks in some places and nearing its highest level in more than three decades.

The river stood at only 6.07 metres above normal levels at 6am (0400 GMT), the official Vigicrues website on flooding and heavy rains said.

The current level was the same as that recorded last night, after which it rose to 6.09 metres, sparking emergency measures.

The famed Louvre and Orsay museums have shut their doors in a race to move art treasures from their basements, some metro stations have been closed and Parisians have been advised to stay away from the Seine.

The record for flooding in Paris is the 8.62 metres reached in 1910. Persistently heavy rainfall across western and central Europe has swollen rivers and claimed victims from at least four countries. — AFP