The evening of this Friday, November 8 and next night are likely to be particularly rainy. The departments of Aude and Hérault are placed on orange alert for thunderstorms and heavy rain. With cumulative rainfall of up to 180 mm, this bad weather risks causing flooding. What should you expect? We take stock.
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Météo France has issued an orange alert for thunderstorms, heavy rain and flooding for two departments, Aude and Hérault from this Friday, November 8 at 6 p.m. According to the forecasting organization, “this Friday at the end of the day and during the night from Friday to Saturday, thunderstorms sometimes strong and accompanied by heavy rain will break out in the Gulf of Lion, from the east of Aude to Hérault, on the coast and in the 'interior“These storms are likely to last much of the night, with rain intensities reaching 50 to 60 mm/h.”Total rainfall for this stormy episode can reach 80 to 120 mm, locally 150 to 180 mm.“, adds Météo France, highlighting the risks of flash floods.
For this Friday evening, the Weather Channel specifies that intensification of storms is expected from 4 p.m., particularly along the coast of the Gulf of Lion. “Storm cells will multiply and move mainly to Hérault, where significant amounts of rain are expected, especially near the coast, until the morning of Saturday“, she indicates. Indeed, precipitation of up to 80 to 130 mm is expected, with possible peaks at 160 mm. The highest intensities of rain, which can reach 50 to 70 mm/h, should occur during evening and night.
Faced with the announced risks, the Aude prefecture has decided to close schools in the Narbonne district from 4:30 p.m. until 4 a.m. on Tuesday, November 12. “Due to the weather forecast, all public and private educational establishments, as well as nurseries and schools, will be closed,” the prefecture said in a press release. A stop to school transport has also been decreed from 6 p.m.
On the Hérault side, the prefecture recalls that flooding is the number one natural risk in France, affecting one in four French people. The authorities insist on the importance of adopting the right reflexes in the event of flash flooding and heavy rain. “These storms could lead to localized flooding, making some roads impassable“, warns the prefecture.
Last night, very heavy rains already affected the Pyrénées-Orientales. According to the Weather Channel, up to a month's worth of rain fell in just 24 hours in some areas. Between Thursday and Friday morning, the department suffered violent storms, accompanied by impressive thunderclaps, especially on the coast. Three people were rescued in Saint-Cyprien, where they had remained stuck in their vehicles, trapped by the rapidly rising waters. “Their car engines were drowned“, firefighters confirm to France 3 Occitanie. The number of lightning strikes was also high, with 253 impacts observed, notably in Canet and Saint-Hyppolyte, according to the Keraunos website.
Heavy rainfall also hit the Spanish border, where the town of Cadaquès recorded up to 100mm of rain in a few hours. The images shared by Météocat on X show a situation similar to that of the Pyrénées-Orientales, with streets transformed into rivers and saturated soil.
