Depression Kirk: “heavy showers”, violent winds, 25 departments on orange alert… what should we expect?

After a first wave of depression which hit France at the start of the week, the country once again finds itself faced with severe bad weather. The former Hurricane Kirk has greatly lost its intensity but will still hit the western coast of the European continent starting this Wednesday, October 9. This extratropical depression will cause particularly intense disturbances as well as very strong wind gusts which could exceed the storm threshold in places. La Dépêche du Midi returns in several points to the weather forecasts for the next few hours.

Which departments concerned?

Météo France has placed 25 departments on orange alert due to the risk of rain-flooding, floods and wind for the day of Wednesday October 9. As of 6 a.m. tomorrow, 20 departments will be placed on alert due to rain and the risk of flooding:Dawnthe MarneTHE Ardennesthe Seine-Saint-DenisTHE Hauts-de-Seinethe Val-de-Marnethe Seine-et-MarneTHE Yvelines, Paristhe Val d’Oisel’Essonnel’Eure-et-Loirthe Loiretthe Loir-et-Cherthe Sarthel’Indre-et-Loirethe Maine-et-Loirethe Loire-AtlantiqueVendée and Deux-Sèvres.

Two departments have been placed under vigilance due to powerful winds: this is the case of Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Hautes-Pyrénées. Finally, three other departments have been placed on orange alert for flood risks. Vosgesthe Saône and the Saône-et-Loire.

What should you expect?

Strong rain accumulations are expected “in the regions going from Poitou-Charentes to the Paris basin and the north-east”, indicates The Weather Channel on its website. This precipitation could last until October 10, in the morning. The main risk is that these bad weather will strike areas where the soil is already saturated with water. Floods are therefore expected and certain rivers could even be subject to flooding: this is the case for example upstream of the Seine.

“The accumulations over the whole day will be very significant, they could reach 40 to 60 mm in the Paris basin and 60 to 80 mm, or even locally 90 mm heading towards the Pays de la Loire and Vendée,” predicts for its part Météo France.

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Weather: the Hautes-Pyrénées are placed on orange alert for violent winds this Wednesday

Side ventit is in the Pyrenean foothills that the biggest gusts are expected. Météo France anticipates “very strong gales”: “The southerly wind will strengthen quickly and blow very strongly in the west of the Pyrenees on Wednesday, says the meteorological organization.

Gusts could reach 120 to 150 km/h on the peaks and 100 to 110 km/h in the valleys and plains. On the Atlantic coast, the most powerful gusts could pass the 100 km/h mark, or even 120 km/h depending on the models Strong gusts of wind are also expected on the Nantes / Nancy line: many departments have been placed on yellow alert due to potentially violent gusts.