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The Paris Olympics bet against climate change when they scheduled some outdoor swimming events in the Seine River, and for a while it looked like they would lose. Heavy rains — something that’s increased with human-caused climate change, especially in Europe — threatened to wash out the swimming portion of triathlon events. It wasn't until Wednesday, after the men's competition had been delayed and test events called off, that organizers said bacteria levels in the Seine had dropped enough to allow swimming. The Seine had been too full of waste, including fecal matter, because of urban runoff from those heavy rains. Some scientists say organizers didn't take climate change and its heavier rains properly into account when they laid plans for the river swims.

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Hundreds of rescue workers are searching through the debris from landslides that have killed at least 151 people in southern India. Torrential rains triggered torrents of mud and water that swept through tea estates and villages. Police officer Aijaz, who uses one name, says another 186 people were injured by the landslides that hit hilly areas in Kerala state’s Wayanad district early Tuesday, flattening houses, uprooting trees and destroying bridge. The efforts of over 300 rescuers were hampered by blocked roads and unstable terrain.

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Heavy rain has caved in roads, forced some homes off their foundations and led to about two dozen rescues in northeastern Vermont. It happened nearly three weeks after many farmers and residents in the state were hit by flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Beryl. The National Weather Service in Burlington says some areas got 6 to more than 8 inches of rain starting late Monday and saw flash flooding. Flood warnings were in effect through Tuesday afternoon. Most of the rain fell Lyndon, Lyndonville and in St. Johnsbury, about 35 miles northeast of the state capital of Montpelier. More rain is in the forecast for the region on Wednesday.

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Most parts of France are enduring a heat wave mere days after the 2024 Olympics launched with a rain-soaked opening ceremony. The national weather agency says temperatures in Paris and surrounding areas hit 97 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday. Air conditioning is far less common in France than in places like the United States. It was even hotter in southern France. Misters are at some venues, while the Paris area’s train and is distributing water. The horses for equestrian competitions hung out in the shade and were sprayed with water. Some athletes say they're used to the heat and aren't too concerned.

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Concerns about water quality in the Seine River led Paris Olympics organizers to postpone the men’s triathlon. Officials on Tuesday say they hope the swimming portion of the race will be able to go forward in the long-polluted waterway Wednesday or in the coming days following an expensive cleanup effort. The women’s competition also is scheduled for Wednesday, but both will only go forward if water tests show safe levels of E. coli and other bacteria in the river. However, storms or rain are forecast Tuesday night through Thursday, which could complicate efforts to reschedule the events. Rain generally causes bacteria levels in the Seine to rise.

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As the largest wildfire in California this year approached the small town of Cohasset, Ron Ward was prepared with a sprinkler system he had just finished installing around his ranch after losing his homeowners insurance. He says the flames reached withing feet of his house and then stopped. The Park Fire was one of more than 100 large active wildfires burning in the U.S. on Monday. Officials say it has blazed through more than 575 square miles. The man arrested on suspicion of starting the fire by pushing a burning car into a gully has been charged with arson. It was unclear whether he had legal representation to speak on his behalf.

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Multiple landslides triggered by torrential rains in southern India have killed 93 people and left many others feared trapped under the debris. The landslides hit hilly villages in Kerala state Tuesday and flattened houses, uprooted trees and destroyed bridges. Authorities have yet to determine the full scope of the disaster. Rescuers were working to pull out those stuck under mud and debris, but their efforts were hampered by blocked roads and unstable terrain. Television images showed rescuers working their way through mud and uprooted trees and vehicles stuck in a swollen river. Authorities were using helicopters to help with rescue efforts. More rain is forecast.

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Like many Mediterranean islands, people in Sicily are used to long spells without rain, but human-caused climate change has made weather more erratic, and droughts can be longer and more frequent. Islanders are surviving as they have for decades. They store as much as they can in cisterns and use tankers to effectively deliver water. They do it so well visitors don’t feel the difference. But this year, even those methods are being put to the test as the region experiences some of its lowest rainfall on record.

Chinese state media say torrential rains have left seven people dead and three others missing in the country's southeast, raising the death toll from a tropical storm to 22. Heavy rain has fallen for days in the eastern part of Hunan province as Tropical Storm Gaemi moved inland after making landfall at typhoon strength last week. The seven deaths are in a region south of a tourist area where a mudslide killed 15 people after barreling into a homestay house last weekend. The tropical storm also brought heavy rain to northeastern China and North Korea. Serious flooding was reported on both sides of the border.

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Visitors admire the ancient Greek Concordia temple, known as the Temple of Juno, in the Valley of the Temples archeological park, in Agrigento, southern Sicily, Italy, Thursday, July 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)