The rain will intensify in the Pyrénées-Orientales: this river could overflow

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Be careful in certain areas of the Pyrénées-Orientales. Weather France et Vigicrues placed the department in yellow vigilance floods and rain-floods. Precipitation could intensify in the coming hours and “localized overflows” are to be feared, these Thursday December 12 and Friday December 13, particularly in Réart.

Flood and rain-flood vigilance

As News Perpignan As we announced yesterday, the rain has returned to most of the Pyrénées-Orientales. A maritime disturbance is sweeping the department with light to moderate rain so far. “We have recorded 25 to 35mm since last night” in the south of the Catalan country, confirms Weather Languedoc Roussillon.

But the specialized page warns: “Instability will gradually increase this evening and night.” Concretely, precipitation is expected to intensify, with even a risk of storms forecast. We wait between 10 and 50mm of additional rain in the Pyrénées-Orientales.

At this time, it is difficult to predict which sectors will be most affected. Still, this rainy weather will be there until midday this Fridayto make way for a sunny weekend.

“Localized overflows” in Réart

But in the meantime, caution will remain necessary in the department, and particularly along the Réart watershed and the ford crossings. This river of the Pyrénées-Orientales, which extends from Montauriol in the Aspres, to the pond of Canet-en-Roussillonwas placed on yellow alert by Vigicrues.

“Given the state of humification of the soils in the watershed, the precipitation expected over the next 24 hours is likely to generate localized overflows. The expected reactions are moderate,” warn forecasters.

As a reminder, the Réart, dry in summer, can experience very rapid flooding in winter, to the point that two motorists were killed, swept away by the waters in 2011 (during orange vigilance, editor's note). For the moment, the other major rivers of the department, namely the three rivers (Agly, Têt, Tech) are not the subject of particular vigilance.

Snow in the mountains

From a general point of view, this rain remains excellent news for the driest department in France, which has already recorded intense rainfall in the month of October. The difference is that this time, “the rain affecting the Roussillon plain this Thursday, turns into snow from 1,200 meters on the reliefs”, indicates The Weather Channel.

Several tens of centimeters of snow fell on the peaks of Canigó and in the Catalan resorts this week. Font-Romeu Pyrénées 2000, Les Angles, Porté-Puymorens, Formiguères and even La Quillane: almost all the ski areas in the department will be open this weekend.

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