The boss of one of the main players specializing in weather risks in the region, based in Castelnau-le-Lez, in Hérault, deciphers the latest phenomenon of the Cévennes episode.
How should we analyze the latest bad weather and the volume of rain that has fallen in recent days?
We have just experienced a very important, benchmark episode in the Cévennes. It is linked to the arrival, in our region, of the ex-cyclone Leslie, which entered via Portugal and continued towards the Gulf of Lion. Tropical cyclone Leslie succeeded Kirk, which had reached the French Atlantic coasts. Leslie was demoted, arriving in Europe, depressed. Once in our region, it brought, over time, significant precipitation, in the north of Hérault, the north of Gard, Ardèche and even Haute-Loire. This caused very significant rainfall accumulations. We recorded more than 500 mm of water in three days.
Is the weather event over?
It was scheduled to end between the evening of Thursday and Friday. Except that we are on soils that are already well saturated, with waterways well swollen by precipitation. This can therefore cause rivers to overflow. This is something to watch out for.
Is this Cévennes episode one of the classic episodes?
It’s a serious episode in the Cévennes, I would say, due to the fact that it is the result of ex-Hurricane Leslie. There, this time, we have a lot of things: an old depression, warm Mediterranean water, a lot of humidity in the air. Add to this saturated soils and we have a combination of all factors.
What can we expect over the next few days?
The low pressure system will slowly evacuate towards the east, from the evening of Thursday and the day of Friday. We will then witness a slow descent in the level of the watercourses. Above all, we will have to be very vigilant about the situation in the Rhône. Many rivers, almost all very loaded, flow into it. I am thinking in particular of Gardon. It will therefore be necessary to be careful that the Rhône does not overflow too strongly in places. This is the main concern that I will keep in mind.
Can we already expect new Cévennes episodes in the coming days?
For now, we already have to deal with whoever is passing and move on. It’s already a lot of work. We don’t really know what happens next.
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