Five departments in the south of France are on orange alert for rain-floods and/or high water, this Saturday, October 26. Rain is expected to continue at least until Sunday morning.
A week after violent bad weather which swept through France, a new episode of rain settled in the territory this weekend of October 26 and 27. Saturday morning, five departments were placed on orange vigilance for different reasons: rain, floods and high water. In detail, Météo-France has put in orange the Alpes-Maritimes (rain-flood, floods), the Gard (rain-flood), the Var (rain-flood, floods) and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence ( floods). Hérault joined the list on Saturday morning.
Peak rain expected overnight
“Another significantly more intense episode” affects the south-east of France and Corsica from Saturday to Sunday warns La Chaîne Météo, which adds: “The day of Saturday, and particularly the evening, seems to be the period most at risk “, with thunderstorms occurring all day long. “An episode of heavy, sometimes stormy rain concerns the south-east of the country, more particularly the Gard and the south-east, with an intensification expected on Saturday in the Var and Alpes-Maritimes,” writes Météo-France.
“Locally, accumulations of more than 40mm were recorded, and more generally 10 to 30mm, with intensities of 5 to 20 mm/h,” details the organization on Saturday morning.
“The critical period is between this evening and the night of Saturday to Sunday in PACA and eastern Corsica. A fairly general calm should be felt from Sunday morning, but the episode will not be completely over Indeed, new storms are expected on Sunday evening in these same areas,” according to the Weather Channel.
A lull on Sunday?
The rainy episode is expected to continue at least until Sunday morning, “but a priori with less virulence”, according to Météo France on Saturday afternoon. Corsica, Languedoc and the PACA region should still experience stormy periods.
Significant flood risks
With rain that has already been heavy and is expected to last throughout the weekend, the risk of flooding is real. “The storms are regaining intensity on the Côte d’Azur, especially this afternoon and this evening, coming up from the sea. The storms follow one another all day long. Stationary, but very localized, storms break out in the east of Corsica In this context, rivers can experience strong reactions (Var and Argens watersheds for example. The risk of flooding is significant”, details the Weather Channel.
“Rapid floods are to be feared” particularly in the Var where certain watercourses have already swollen considerably, such as the Argens river which went from 1.62 meters Thursday evening to 8.04 meters Friday morning depending on the levels reported by BFMTV. “The rivers may experience significant rises, but more spread out over time and lower than last week,” warns La Chaîne Météo in a more temperate manner. In addition to heavy rains, it is also the soils already saturated with water that increase the risk of flooding.
17:25 – Images of the Orb flood in Occitanie
“The upper cantons are experiencing a significant rainy-stormy episode, with cumulative amounts reaching 80 to 120 mm in the space of 15 hours,” explains Météo Beziers on Instagram.
16:18 – The rainy episode will continue tomorrow
“Next night, the south-east of the country and in particular Corsica, Languedoc and the PACA region remain exposed to sometimes sustained rainy and stormy periods. Tomorrow, rains will still linger over these regions. They are temporarily heavy and thunderstorms on an axis going from Bouches-du-Rhône to the east of the Gard and the Cévennes, as well as over the east of Corsica, locally giving significant accumulations”, according to the Météo France bulletin at 4 p.m.
“The current Mediterranean episode will continue at least until Sunday morning,” explains Vigicrues.
15:11 – Heavy rains in Hérault and Var
Heavy rains and thunderstorms are currently affecting the center of Hérault and moving towards Sète. “The overflow thresholds will be reached this evening on the rivers” of the Orb and the Hérault, specifies La Chaîne Météo.
2:17 p.m. – 60 homes without electricity in the Alpes-Maritimes
60 homes are without electricity in Tourrettes-sur-Loup, Enedis announced to BFM Nice Côte d’Azur. Traffic is cut off on departmental road 2564 in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin due to a falling tree. In the Var, several roads are closed. The prefecture has opened a crisis unit. 140 firefighters are mobilized in addition to the teams usually planned. A helicopter is also ready to go.
13:23 – Vigilance soon to be lifted?
Météo France will lift orange vigilance in the departments of Hérault and Var at midnight this Saturday. For the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var, the alert could be lifted at 6 a.m. on Sunday.
12:26 – No intervention by firefighters in Var and Alpes-Maritimes last night
The firefighters did not have to intervene last night in the Var and the Alpes-Maritimes, two of the departments placed on orange rain-flood vigilance this weekend.
11:35 – Vigilance could extend to other departments
According to Météo France, Lozère and Ardèche could join the list of departments placed on orange vigilance. Showers affect the Cévennes and the east of the department until Saturday evening.
10:43 – A short Sunday lull?
Thunderstorms and rain should gradually diminish tomorrow. “A fairly general calm should be felt from Sunday morning, but the episode will not be completely over. In fact, new storms are expected on Sunday evening,” estimates La Chaîne Météo.
10:11 – Risky day this Saturday
“This Saturday is the most risky day of this episode, in the PACA region and eastern Corsica,” according to La Chaîne Météo. On the Côte d’Azur, storms intensify at the end of the day. “The risk of flooding is significant,” warns the organization. In the Cévennes, the rainy episode also continues, but it should be less violent than in the PACA region. “Significant climbs, but more spread out over time and lower than last week,” estimates the weather report.
09:43 – Five departments on orange alert for flooding and/or rain-flooding
Hérault joins the list of departments placed on orange vigilance by Météo France. The day before, four other departments had gone orange: the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence for floods, as well as the Var and the Alpes-Maritimes for rain-flooding.
