Heavy rain, floods and storms: 13 French departments placed on alert for Thursday

INA-  SOURCES



Nine departments in the south of France have been placed on orange alert for Thursday, October 17, by state forecaster Météo France with warnings of heavy rain, storms and potential flooding. 

The departments on orange alert are: Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Lot, Corrèze, Tarn, Aveyron, Lozère, Ardèche, Gard, Alpes-Maritimes, Aude, Hérault, Loire and Haute-Loire.

“A low pressure system is moving up over the country and stormy precipitation will intensify in many regions, particularly in the south", Météo France said on Wednesday afternoon. The phenomenon is known as an épisode cévenol.

It warned a total of 200-300mm of rain is expected across the Cévennes mountains in south-central France over a 48-hour period, “with possible peaks of 400/450 mm, or even more". 

Stormy weather will cover mush of the south of France, including in the south-east.

Schools in the Alpes-Maritimes department, including nurseries (maternelles), primary and secondary schools, and colleges/sixth forms are closed.

Parks and some other public places are closed in the department's capital Nice, and homeless people have been provided temporary shelter.

Up to 100 mm of rain may fall in the department during today's storms, particularly in the west. Soil in the department is already saturated from last week's storms, leading to the risk of flooding. 

It comes a week after storm Kirk swept across France, leaving a trail of damage and flooding in its wake, and causing at least one death. 




SOURCE: Connexion France