Paris, July 30 (V7N) — France’s meteorological service has issued a major storm alert for Paris and its surrounding suburbs on Tuesday, coinciding with the ongoing Olympic Games. The alert, which starts at 6:00 pm local time (1600 GMT), warns of strong thunderstorms, heavy rain, hail, and lightning.

The storm is expected to bring "intense precipitation," with rainfall potentially reaching 20mm to 40mm in less than an hour. The severe weather could impact the city until around midnight, although the effects are expected to be highly localized.

This weather warning comes as Paris experiences a heatwave, with temperatures forecasted to soar to 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday. The extreme heat is affecting Olympians participating in outdoor events, such as beach volleyball at the Eiffel Tower and women’s rugby semi-finals at the Stade de France.

Other French cities hosting Olympic events are also grappling with the heatwave, with temperatures in some central and southern regions hitting 40C in recent days. The combination of high temperatures and severe weather conditions presents a challenging scenario for both athletes and event organizers.

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