Flooding in Paraguay forces 1,000 families from their homes

Flooding has forced about 1,000 families to leave their homes this week in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay's second-largest city.

The city is on the Paraná River, near the borders with Brazil and Argentina, and the river reached 122 metres on Thursday.

In 2014, it reached 125 metres and flooding displaced 1,200 families, a level local officials fear could be reached again.

Authorities are evacuating residents and distributing aid, while some homes are already submerged and some residents have refused to leave.

The flooding is linked to heavy rain associated with El Niño, which changes weather patterns around the world.

Floods are also affecting parts of Argentina, where rising rivers have led to evacuations and travel restrictions; high water has also closed some routes at Iguazú Falls.

The Itaipú dam has its gates open to ease the river flow, and local authorities are watching water levels as the rain continues.