Be careful if you are traveling in the Nord, Pas-de-Calais, Oise, Eure, Seine-Maritime, Calvados and Ile-et-Vilaine. The two northern departments are on yellow alert for snow and ice, while the five other western departments are on orange alert due to the risk of flooding, synonymous with the risk of significant river overflows.
In the Nord and Pas-de-Calais, snowfall is expected to continue until Thursday morning, according to Météo-France. The movement of heavy goods vehicles was prohibited “on the entire secondary road network” until Thursday noon, according to an order from the prefectures of these departments.
The speed of vehicles weighing less than 3.5 tonnes was lowered by 20 km/h on the motorways and national roads of Hauts-de-France on Wednesday.
For vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes, overtaking has been prohibited and the maximum authorized speed capped at 80 km/h on motorways and national roads throughout the region, according to the same prefectural decree.
The Hauts-de-France region announced on Tuesday the “total suspension” of school transport and intercity bus transport lines for the day of Wednesday. They will still be at a standstill on Thursday in the Nord and Pas-de-Calais.
SNCF Réseau has for its part “asked the carriers of the rail network in Hauts-de-France to reduce the number of trains in circulation and limit their speed” and therefore recommends that travelers check the circulation of their trains before going to station.
-Removals of regional express trains (TER) and disruptions “are to be expected” Thursday morning in the north of Hauts-de-France, warned the SNCF.
This is a “non-exceptional winter episode for the regions concerned but sufficiently notable to make traffic conditions difficult,” Météo-France further commented.
The rain-snow front should evacuate from the east around midday Thursday.
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