Paris is hit by a 'power outage' - hours after city was battered by rain and transport system was brought to its knees by protesters...while backlash grows over opening ceremony

Videos emerging on social media suggest Paris has been hit with a power outage - but is yet to be confirmed - only hours after they were struck with heavy downpour.

The 2024 Olympics has gotten off to a rocky start  as travel chaos erupted as trains were brought to halt amid 'massive arson attack' on Thursday.

Heavy showers battering the city also wreaked havoc forcing several sporting events to postpone, as the opening ceremony received heavy criticism online. 

Now, more issues have appeared to surfaced for the city during the worldwide sporting event as videos have surfaced showing Paris in a complete blackout. 

Fears have now sparked on social media that the reported  power outage across the city could impact plans for the Olympics. 

Top tennis stars including Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz had their games held up as many matches were washed out and delayed on Friday.

The men's street skateboarding competition was also postponed and rescheduled for Monday as the grounds were waterlogged.

The latest rainfall led to the reappearance of masses of brollies and rain ponchos and long lines outside Olympic stadia. 

One fan Marc Hobes, 25, from Paris, said: 'This is not typical weather. For a tennis fan like me, this is very bad luck and also for Paris.

'We want to show off the Olympics to the world in one of the best cities, but the rain spoiled the opening ceremony and now the sport.

'But I was at Wimbledon last month and the rain was there too. So it is not just Paris.'

Debbie Lyons, 42, from Wembley who was with her French partner Pierre, said: 'We moan about the weather back at home and now the French might understand why we are miserable most summers.

'Pierre and me are going to Nice tomorrow. The sun should be out there.'

The poor weather also caused issues for athletes in the women's cycling, with several competitors crashing on the capital’s rain-soaked streets during the time trial.

Thousands have taken to X (formerly Twitter) sharing #boycottOlympics and #boycottParis2024, which has been trending throughout the day.

In particular, the appearance of a 'naked blue man' among a scene likened to the Last Supper angered many watching including Christians.

One wrote: 'What a disgraceful opening to the 2024 Olympics #BoycottOlympics.'

Another declared they 'didn't even care about the Olympics' but were now '100 per cent boycotting'.

'Are you serious?!? This is blasphemous and God will not be mocked! #BoycottOlympics.'

'Respect Jesus Christ and reject any mockery of Jesus' Last Supper. Retweet if you stand with #BoycottOlympics.

'The spectacle was despicable, offensive and extremely vile. #BoycottOlympics #BoycottParis2024.

'Will this be the first Olympics that never was? Who will be the first country brave enough to boycott? Fingers crossed #BoycottOlympics.'

Though many took issue with the segment of the ceremony for its perceived mockery of the Last Supper, The Olympic Games' official X account suggested otherwise, labelling the 'naked blue man' an 'interpretation of the Greek God Dionysus'.

Dionysus is the Greek god of fertility and has no relevance to the Last Supper.

French actor and singer Phillippe Katerine, who played the controversial part, dismissed critics.

He told BFM TV: 'It wouldn't be fun if there were no controversy. Wouldn't it be boring if everyone agreed on this planet?'

The French Catholic church has since spoken out against the segment, with the Conference of French bishops releasing a statement. 

Catholic Bishop Robert Barron, from the US, also reacted to the video online saying: 'I love the Olympics, so I turn on the opening ceremony of the Olympics. 

It read: 'This ceremony has unfortunately included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we very deeply deplore.'

'And what do I see now? It's in Paris, France, a city I love, I spent three years as a doctoral student there.

'I see this gross mockery of the last supper and I won't describe it any further.

'France felt evidently as it's trying to put its best cultural foot forward, that the right thing to do is to mock this very central moment in Christianity where Jesus at his last supper gives his body and blood in anticipation of the cross.

'It's presented through this gross or flippant mockery. France which used to be called the oldest daughter of the church.'

Many were also disgruntled by the subsequent performance by French heavy metal band Gojira, who played 'Ah! Ça Ira' - a popular song during the French Revolution.

The band were joined by opera singer Marina Viotti as well as a plethora of beheaded figures representing the slain Queen Marie Antoinette.

The sporting event was also hit with travel chaos on it's first day, as a 'assive arson attack sparked travel chaos in the city.

Only hours before the opening ceremony on the River Seine on Thursday, fires were started at key installations, bringing trains to a halt and impacting around 800,000 passengers.

The Gare du Nord – the main Eurostar station in Paris – was hit by the attacks on the rail network, a spokesman for SNCF, France's rail operator confirmed. 

This caused the cancellation of multiple services, including ones meant to be bringing sports fans into the French capital.

'Numerous stations are affected, including Garde du Nord, with services across France cancelled or delayed,' he said.