Météo-France has placed twenty-eight departments in the north and north-east of France on orange alert for snow and ice due to“a winter episode requiring special attention” which is due to begin on Saturday January 4 in the evening.
“A disturbance associated with a lot of mild air will sweep across the entire country in a southwest-northeast direction on Saturday and overnight from Saturday to Sunday. In the departments in orange, this disturbance will encounter a mass of cold air, causing snowfall and especially freezing rain for a few hours, until the mild air takes over for good.according to the meteorologists' bulletin.
Aisne, Ardennes, Marne, Haute-Marne, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, Nord, Oise, Pas-de-Calais, Bas-Rhin, Haut- Rhine, Seine-Maritime, Somme, Vosges and the Territoire de Belfort were first placed on orange alert, before being joined by the Ile-de-France departments, Orne, Eure-et-Loir, Eure, Côte-d’Or, Aube and Haute-Saône. Saturday around 5 p.m., the first precipitation reached the Orne in the form of rain “locally icy” according to Météo-France. Temperatures fell below 0°C in the east of the department and in Eure-et-Loir, and fell to -4°C in Dijonnais. But from 8 p.m., Eure-et-Loir and Orne returned to yellow alert.
Speed lowered by 20 km/h in Ile-de-France
Snowfall should be quite brief, except in the border departments of the Grand-Est, where it could be more persistent and form a layer of 5 centimeters on the ground. “ Freezing rain then lasts between one and three hours, potentially causing traffic difficulties.adds Météo-France.
“Traffic conditions could be difficult in the affected areas”also warns Bison futé, who calls on road users to “use extra caution, as well as find out about changes in weather and traffic conditions before leaving”.
In Côte-d'Or, traffic was prohibited for around fifteen kilometers on the A38, west of Dijon, the freezing rain having made the roadway very slippery, according to the prefecture. On the A6, several material accidents were observed, in particular near Beaune where the motorway was cut to facilitate emergency intervention. In several regions, authorities have limited the speeds allowed on the roads.
In Ile-de-France, traffic speed is lowered by 20 km/h from 5 p.m. to midnight, on “all the axes of the road network”except the Paris ring road, announced the prefecture in a press release. The prefecture calls for « vigilance » and to the « prudence »recommending in particular to favor public transport, to equip your car with snow tires and to provide a “minimum equipment (warm clothing, food, water)” in case the vehicle is immobilized by the weather.
Measures have also been taken concerning heavy goods vehicles: in Aube, from 6 p.m., they will be prohibited from overtaking and will have to reduce their speed by 20 km/h on the entire road network then, from 7 p.m. , their circulation will be prohibited on national roads and highways.
In Côte-d'Or, Doubs, Jura and Territoire de Belfort, heavy goods vehicles weighing more than 7.5 tonnes will no longer be able to drive from 7 p.m. This ban will be extended from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. to Marne, Haute-Marne, Haut-Rhin, Haute-Saône and Vosges.
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