This first major storm of fall 2024 brings very unsettled weather conditions to a large part of France this week. It was named storm Aitor by Aemet, the Spanish weather agency.
What makes it special is that it is powered by a phenomenon called “atmospheric river“, which brings warm, humid air from the tropics, where it meets cold polar air. This combination creates strong winds and heavy rainsmaking it more dangerous in some areas. Weather models warn that winds could reach more than 100 km/h, even up to 130 km/h on some coasts.
Lothar and Martin: the storms that marked France
France is no stranger to such weather events. Indeed, this is not the first time that the country has been faced with a major storm. While Aitor is causing concern, it is far from equaling the violence of the storms Lothar and Martin, which struck the country with devastating intensity in December 1999.
Lothar, on December 26, 1999, was the first act of an unprecedented meteorological drama. This storm crossed the northern half of France with gusts reaching mind-blowing speeds of 272 km/h. In the blink of an eye, entire forests have been razedinfrastructure was devastated, and the lives of thousands of people were turned upside down. The toll was tragic: 92 victims and material losses estimated at between 8 and 13 billion euros, a real natural disaster. The following day, Martin hit the southern half of France, worsening the damage already suffered, with gusts reaching up to 198 km/hIt caused flooding and sea surges.
Fortunately, the disruptions expected in the coming days are much less severe than those of 1999. In the following slideshow, Planet gives you the list of regions most affected by storm Aitor, from this Wednesday according to Météo-France.
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