Low-pressure system Kirk places 19 départements under orange vigilance as of Wednesday

Météo-France has announced that 19 departments in western France will be placed under orange vigilance for “strong winds” and “rain-flooding” on Wednesday October 9, due to the arrival of ex-hurricane Kirk. This low-pressure system, weakened after crossing the Atlantic, is still capable of causing strong gusts of wind and sustained rainfall, requiring particular vigilance in the areas concerned.

Departments affected, as of 6 a.m. Wednesday morning, include Hautes-Pyrénées, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Deux-Sèvres, Vendée, Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, Indre-et-Loire, Sarthe, Loir-et-Cher, Loiret, Eure-et-Loir, Yvelines, Seine-et-Marne, Val-d’Oise, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-de-Marne, Essonne and Paris.

Severe weather expected in the west of France and the Île-de-France region

In a weather bulletin, Météo-France indicates that this low-pressure system will be accompanied by intense, persistent rain over a wide band stretching from the Vendée to the Paris region, as well as strong winds over the western Pyrenees that could blow into the valleys.

At the same time, on Tuesday October 8, five departments in the south of the country remain under orange vigilance due to the risk of rain and flooding.

On Monday, the weather agency had already warned of gusts of up to 100-120 km/h on the Atlantic coast on Wednesday evening, and up to 110 km/h locally inland. These violent winds will be accompanied by an active disturbance, laden with mild, humid air of tropical origin. The heaviest rainfall totals are likely to be concentrated from the northwest to the Belgian borders, with values of 20 to 40 mm, and locally up to 70 mm.

This weather situation is likely to cause significant damage. Violent gusts and heavy rain could cause trees and power cables to fall, as well as flooding in some areas.

Ex-hurricane Kirk, initially classified as a Category 1 hurricane, became a depression as it approached Europe. Although this is not an exceptional phenomenon, it is indicative of the influence of tropical systems at this time of year. According to Christelle Robert, a forecaster at Météo-France, it’s common for this type of low-pressure system to end its journey over the European continent during the cyclone season, as she explained to BFMTV.com on October 3.