the Caetano storm crosses France, traffic “difficult in the regions concerned”

The first flakes of Storm Caetano fell on Thursday morning in the north-west of France, as winter descends on France where 58 departments are placed on orange alert for snow, ice and wind. This storm “will cross France from west to east and cause an early and sufficiently notable winter episode to make traffic conditions difficult in the regions concerned”indicates Météo-France on its website.

Orne, where thirty salt spreaders are in action according to the prefect, seems particularly affected with already ten road accidents recorded in connection with snowfall at 10 a.m., and traffic “possible but difficult” on the RN 12 (Alençon-Mortagne-au-Perche and Alençon-Lalacelle axes).

Bison Futé informed at 10 a.m. that traffic was “very delicate” among others on the A84 (Calvados and Manche), the N 12 (Orne, Mayenne, Ille-et-Vilaine and Côtes-d'Armor), N 176 (Côtes-d'Armor, Ille-et-Villaine and Manche) , A28 (Eure and Orne), the Caen ring road, and the N 158 (Calvados and Orne).

In places, temperatures should be close to those of January. Météo-France has placed 58 departments on orange alert, including 33 for snow and ice, mainly in the northern part of the country and in the Alps, and 25 for wind, from Loire-Atlantique to Gironde then on a line going up to Savoie, including the two Corsican departments.

“In Ile-de-France, we expect 1 to 5 cm, locally 5 to 10 cm in the south of the region”continues Météo-France, which adds that snowfall “are also expected at low altitude in the Southern Alps”. Further south, the wind will blow strongly with “gusts generally between 100 and 120 km/h on the coast of the departments placed on orange vigilance” and inland, up to “more than 150 km/h on the highest points of the Alps”.

School transport suspended

SNCF Réseau estimated Thursday morning that “the point of vigilance is the new Aquitaine where several lines are interrupted as a precaution in the Bordeaux region due to violent winds”. According to West Francerail traffic is interrupted between Le Mans and Laval.

From 11 a.m., the movement of trucks over 7.5 tonnes is restricted, with a speed reduced by 20 km/h in Calvados, Côtes-d'Armor, Ille-et-Vilaine, Manche , Morbihan, Orne and Sarthe, Cher, Eure, Eure-et-Loir, Loir-et-Cher, Loiret, as well as than in Ile-de-France on the major roads. School transport is suspended on Thursday in Orne, Manche, Calvados, Eure and Eure-et-Loir.

The Loire-Atlantique department warned mid-morning that the Saint-Nazaire bridge could close between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. if measured gusts exceed 120 km/h.

Strong winds could also cause avalanches in the Alps. “Extreme vigilance is required when practicing all mountain activities and mainly ski or snowshoe hikes” and Haute-Savoie “The avalanche risk is 4 out of 5 on the Mont-Blanc massif”reported the prefecture.