Weather Alert: Increased Risk of Storms and Floods: 15 Departments in Eastern and Southeastern Regions Upgraded to Orange Warning from Sunday to Monday
Thunderstorm Alerts Across France: Météo-France Issues Storm Warning
France is bracing for a series of thunderstorms and heavy rainfall, with several departments under orange alerts. Météo-France, the French national weather service, has issued a storm warning for the period from August 31 to September 1.
The thunderstorm episode, predicted to be brief but potentially violent, is expected to bring gusts of 80 to 100 km/h, hail, and rainfall totals of 20 to 40 mm in 6 hours. The southeast regions of France, including the Ardèche, Gard, and Lozère, will be on orange alert for thunderstorms and heavy rain-flooding starting at 10 pm and lasting until 7 am on Monday.
In the evening of August 31, eight departments in Auvergne and Burgundy, including the Nièvre, will also be on orange alert for thunderstorms. The Nièvre's alert will commence at 3 pm, and these alerts are expected to end at 10 pm.
As the night progresses, at midnight, Drôme, Gard, Var, Vaucluse, and Bouches-du-Rhône will join the orange alert for thunderstorms and heavy rain-flooding. The school year start in Bouches-du-Rhône and Var has been postponed from Monday to Tuesday due to the storm warning.
Further south, Météo-France forecasts a Mediterranean episode with violent thunderstorms that could result in excessive rainfall, potentially exceeding 100 mm over the duration of the episode, and up to 150 mm locally in case of stationarity on the southernmost departments. However, specific cities and municipalities under an orange alert for "severe thunderstorms" and "heavy rain-floods" in the southeastern regions of France are not explicitly listed.
On Sunday afternoon, the Allier, Côte-d'Or, Puy-de-Dôme, and Saône-et-Loire join the Nièvre's alert at 4 pm for thunderstorms. These alerts are expected to end throughout Monday, with the last affected departments' alerts ending at 6 pm.
Météo-France advises residents in the affected areas to stay informed and take necessary precautions. For the latest updates, visit the Météo-France website or follow their social media channels.
