“Intense and very localised rainfall caused … a mudslide in the village of Courmelles,” located about 90km northeast of Paris, the local prefecture said in a statement.

The mud “affected an area where there are about 10 houses and accumulated in one of them in particular”, Courmelles mayor Arnaud Svrcek told AFP.

There was about 1.5m of water in the house, “the husband managed to escape with bruises on his head, but the woman was swept away”, he added.

The Aisne department, where Courmelles is located, was issued an orange storm warning yesterday, the second highest alert level issued by weather authority Meteo France.

Svrcek has activated a safety plan for the area, the prefecture said, offering a centre for those affected by the disaster where they can find shelter.