Annonay under water, four departments on red alert

Rivers in “exceptional flood”

“Exceptional floods are underway on the Lignon du Vellaythe Loire Velane and the Gameson which the levels are rising very sharply,” according to the Vigicrues organization, which has placed these watercourses on red alert.

Up to 700 mm of rain fell locally in Ardèche

By mid-morning, Ardèche had already recorded up to 700 mm of rain in places since the start of the episode on Wednesday, according to The Weather Channel, which specifies that “additional precipitation” is expected “until the middle of next night (an additional 100 to 150 mm)”.

A Cévennes episode, what is it?

The heavy rainfall recorded in recent hours is due to the Cévennes episode which has taken hold in the departments of south-eastern France since Wednesday.

“We typically find this phenomenon in autumn or spring, when masses of warm and humid air rise around the Mediterranean rim under the effect of a south-easterly flow,” explains Yann Amice, meteorologist for Weather’n ‘Co.

Concretely, the still high temperatures of the Mediterranean during this season generate a mass of hot air loaded with humidity which, under the effect of a depression, is propelled onto the Cévennes massifs (hence its name). As it gains altitude, it encounters colder air masses, which leads to thunderstorms and intense precipitation.

More explanations in our article ????

Up to 400 mm of rain in 48 hours: what is this Cévennes episode affecting the south of France?

No more trains run between Lyon and Saint-Étienne

The SNCF announces that train traffic is suspended for the day “due to weather conditions which have caused significant flooding on the line”.

Several cities under water

In Annonay (Ardèche), the town center has been flooded since this morning. The municipality has decided to evacuate schools and nurseries and interrupt urban and school transport. Seven streets are closed to traffic.

In Givors (Rhône), the flood of Games caused flooding of the A47 and the commercial area.

Four departments on red alert for floods and rain-flooding

Hello and welcome to this live

Together we will monitor the weather situation in the south-east of France, which is experiencing severe weather.