Storms forecast to hit France on Monday
Alerts raised in 72 departments
Storms are forecast to hit the south of France on Monday, with heavy rain, hail and strong winds possible as 72 departments have been placed on thunderstorm alert by Météo-France, with nine departments on orange alert and 63 on yellow.
The bad weather is expected to reach Nouvelle-Aquitaine from Monday, following further showers and thunderstorms in the region over the weekend.
The most exposed areas will be Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the Pyrenees, Occitanie, Provence and Auvergne. The storms will then spread towards Rhône-Alpes and Corsica on Monday evening and overnight into Tuesday.
The storms could bring hail, powerful blustery gales, lightning and intense rainfall in a short period.
Heavy downpours could cause significant surface run-off and local flooding, particularly where large amounts of rain fall in a short time.
The most sensitive period is expected to be from Monday afternoon through to the early hours of Tuesday.
The risk of severe storms is expected to be greatest between the Pyrenees and Massif Central before spreading further east.
An épisode cévenol possible
The Cévennes could see particularly heavy and locally intense rainfall on Monday evening and overnight.
Forecasters are warning of a possible épisode cévenol – the French term for intense rainfall affecting the Cévennes. Such events can produce very heavy rain in a short period, with water running rapidly down the steep valleys and increasing the risk of flooding.
The risk will continue overnight as storms move across the Cévennes towards Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
Corsica could also experience strong winds.
What is the outlook for the rest of the week?
The unsettled weather is not expected to end on Monday.
On Tuesday, storm activity should gradually ease across the south, although some storms could continue further north.
However, the atmosphere is expected to remain warm and unstable during the rest of the week, meaning further thunderstorms and periods of heavy rain could develop.
The weather situation will therefore remain worth monitoring, particularly in southern and southeastern France, where repeated heavy rainfall could increase the risk of local flooding.
