Thunderstorms, rain and risk of flooding: Aude and Hérault placed on orange alert, what should we expect?

It's the return of bad weather in the south of the country: Météo France has placed two departments on orange alert due to rain, storms and the risk of flooding: Aude and Hérault. This vigilance runs from this Friday, November 8 at 6 p.m., until the next day, this Saturday, November 9 at 6 a.m. “This Friday at the end of the day and during the night from Friday to Saturday, thunderstorms, sometimes strong and accompanied by heavy rain, break out in the Gulf of Lion, particularly from the east of Aude to Hérault, on the coast and in the interior”, indicates Météo France in its latest weather bulletin.

The meteorological organization especially expects significant accumulations of rain, with an hourly density “reaching 50 to 60” millimeters of rain per hour. “The total rain for this stormy episode can reach 80 to 120 millimeters locally 150/180 millimeters,” says Météo France. In this alert situation, residents are asked to move away from submerged watercourses and roads, and are required to inform themselves of the situation.

Departments also on yellow alert

This Friday, November 8, three other departments were placed on yellow alert due to storms: Pyrénées-Orientales, Gard and Haute-Corse, also on alert for risks of rain and flooding. This Saturday, eight other departments were placed on yellow “storm” alert: Landes, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Pyrénées-Orientales, Gard, Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, Corse-du- South and Upper Corsica.

The damage is expected to move east this Saturday, November 9. In the north-east of Corsica (2B), significant accumulations are possible. However, the forecaster warns, the intensity of the precipitation could lead to a worsening of vigilance.