The Darragh storm passed through New Aquitaine. In the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, the foam of the waves formed a thick layer of foam on the promenade, near the beach of Biarritz. In accordance with the weather forecast, snow fell in the Ossau valley during the night. The department is still on orange alert until Monday, December 9.
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Joggers slowed down by a thick layer of foam. Walkers, bundled up in coats and hats, stroll along the edge of the beach with difficulty.
The phenomenon is common, but the images remain impressive.
In the Basque Country, the wind continues to blow strongly, causing the creation of waves which end their movement on the sea wall. As a result, the beach edge is covered in foam, very similar to snowflakes.
Sunday athletes sometimes have difficulty getting around…
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© Andde Irosbehère France 3 Aquitaine
On the Pyrenees side, the images should delight ski resort professionals two weeks before the Christmas holidays. This was expected, but the flakes fell in much higher quantities than expected this night of Saturday December 7 and almost one meter to 1.50 meters of snow is still expected in the afternoon.
Around fifteen machines from the department have been circulating on the mountain roads for snow removal since six o'clock this morning.
The machines started clearing snow early this morning.
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© France Télévisions
The heavy precipitation is accompanied by violent winds blowing in gusts from the northwest, favoring the formation of snowdrifts. These accumulations make some roads difficult or impossible to use, even at moderate altitudes.
With the constant thickening of the snow cover, the risk of avalanches increases throughout the day, particularly on the most exposed slopes. The Col du Pourtalet was completely closed in the afternoon.
The department is on orange snow and ice alert until Monday, December 9. The authorities invite the population to limit their travel, particularly in the mountains. For those who absolutely have to travel, it is essential to be equipped with chains or snow tires and to carry provisions in case of obstruction.
The situation is being closely monitored by the prefecture, which reiterates the importance of keeping informed via weather reports and instructions from local authorities.
