Friday, October 25, 2019

Severe storms and flooding hit south of France

Nine departments in the south of France remain on orange alert for rainstorms and floods, after severe flooding has already caused campsites to be evacuated, and posed serious danger to livestock.

The departments of Aude, Aveyron, Gard, Hérault, Pyrénées-Orientales, Tarn, Bouches-du-Rhône, Var and Vaucluse are still on orange alert - the second-most severe level - for heavy rain and flooding, with the coastal departments at risk of high, flooding waves.
The tiny border country of Andorra is also on alert.
Forecaster Météo France described the weather as a “Mediterranean episode in progress”, which was moving from the Occitanie region, and was expected to be over Provence and the Côte d’Azur by the afternoon today (Wednesday October 23).
The alert is expected to be in place until midnight.
Interior minister Christophe Castaner called for residents to “take the greatest care, and respect guidelines” from local authorities.
Heavy rain has already caused flooding in the Aude, Hérault, Ardèche, and Pyrénées-Orientales departments, with two campsites requiring evacuation of all guests to a nearby gymnasium, roads cut off, and livestock washed away.
The worst of the weather hit in the early hours of this morning, with violent electric storms arriving overnight.

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