Météo France kept 17 departments on Orange alert for violent winds on Monday January 6. In addition to the Rhône and the Loire, affected this Sunday, the disruptions concern 15 other departments in the northern half.
France will be swept away this Monday, January 6 by storm Floriane, which promises to be rapid but intense, according to Météo France forecasts. The departments of Loire and Rhône as well as 19 departments in the northern half of France were placed on orange alert for the wind overnight on Sunday. The departments concerned are Loir-et-Cher, Eure-et-Loir, Loiret, Val-d'Oise, Paris, Yvelines, Essonne, Seine-et-Marne, Hauts-de- Seine, Val-de-Marne, Seine-Saint-Denis, Aisne, Marne, Ardennes and Meuse. Orange vigilance was, however, lifted in Vendée, at 8 a.m. then in Indre-et-Loire, Maine-et-Loire and Sarthe at 10 a.m.
In the North-West, storm Floriane will enter early Monday morning off the coast of Vendée, again with gusts of 90 to 100 km/h, locally at 110 km/h. “In the northern half, there remains uncertainty about the storm's path” et “the wind may blow equally strong” on the departments bordering the departments on orange alert, underlines Météo France, calling for caution.
Direct consequences on rail traffic
Monday January 6, the SNCF announced traffic restrictions, speed reductions and preventive service cancellations in the 21 departments concerned. In Hauts-de-France, the SNCF will shut down certain portions of lines for a few hours at midday on Monday. The Paris-Laon lines (between Crépy and Laon), Tergnier-Laon, Creil-Beauvais and Boulogne-Dunkerque (from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) are affected, reports BFMTV.
