Three people were surprised by the rising waters and found themselves trapped in their car in Saint-Cyprien, on the night of Thursday 7 to Friday 8 November 2024. The storms and rains were particularly intense on the coast and it's not over.
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The night of this Thursday to Friday November 8, 2024 was particularly rainy in the Pyrénées-Orientales. The department was hit by fairly active storms accompanied by impressive thunderclaps, particularly on the coast, between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m., as shown in these images broadcast by Météo express on X.
Three people remained stuck in their car in Saint-Cyprien, Place Maillol, firefighters confirmed to France 3 Occitanie this Friday morning, who brought them to safety. They were not injured and were able to return home.
“These motorists were surprised by the rising waters, the engines of their cars found themselves drowned”explain our colleagues from France bleu Roussillon.
According to the Keraunos website, 253 lightning strikes were observed in the department, particularly in the municipalities of Canet and Saint-Hyppolyte. The cumulative rainfall recorded during the storms was significant, up to a month and a half of rain according to Extreme Weather on X between Saint-Laurent-de-Salanque and Saint-Cyprien. “We noted in particular up to 123.1 mm in Torreilles and 122 mm in Canet-en-Roussillon. While not so far away, only 20 mm fell in Perpignan.”
The streets have transformed into a river, particularly in Saint-Laurent-de-Salanque, as evidenced by this resident who posts a photo on the Météo du Languedoc Facebook account.
Images also impressive in Cadaquès in Spain, where a cumulative 100 mm of precipitation was recorded in a few hours, as shown in this video broadcast by Météocat on X:
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This Friday morning, several cars were found piled up under the Cadaquès bridge according to our colleagues from Tramuntana.tv:
During the night, some vehicles navigated the city streets:
In France, the only consequence reported for the moment, the ford crossing between Canet and Villelongue-de-la-Salanque is closed this Friday morning, according to the Pyrénées-Orientales Departmental Council.
This Friday, November 8, the rains continue until tomorrow Saturday. “This Friday at the end of the afternoon and during the night from Friday to Saturday, in Languedoc and even Roussillon, stormy showers, sometimes heavy, are expected,” alerted Météo France this morning.
Forecasters have just placed the departments of Aude and Hérault on orange storm and rain flood alert for today and tomorrow Saturday.
This Friday at the end of the day, thunderstorms break out in the east of Aude and in Hérault, on the coast and in the interior. These storms last most of the night from Friday to Saturday. “They are accompanied by heavy rain with hourly intensities reaching 50 to 60 mm/h; cumulative rainfall for this stormy episode can reach 80 to 120 mm locally 150/180 mm” warns Météo France..
