Vigilance orange extended: 10 new départements concerned

Météo-France has extended its orange vigilance to include 10 additional départements in the south and centre of France, due to the risk of ‘rain-flooding’ and ‘thunderstorms’. Since Wednesday September 4, the Bouches-du-Rhône, Vaucluse, Gard, Haute-Loire, Loire, Puy-de-Dôme, Allier, Saône-et-Loire, Nièvre and Yonne departments have joined the Var and Alpes-Maritimes. In all, 12 départements are now under alert.

In the south, particularly in the Alpes-Maritimes, Var, Bouches-du-Rhône, Vaucluse and Gard, the alert covers both the risks of ‘rain-flooding’ and ‘thunderstorms’. For the departments in the Auvergne and Bourgogne regions, on the other hand, the alert focuses solely on the risk of ‘rain-flooding’.

For the Mediterranean regions, Météo-France is forecasting an ‘episode of locally intense rainfall requiring increased vigilance’. For Auvergne and Burgundy, ‘heavy rainfall with significant accumulations over large areas’ is expected. Between Haute-Loire and Yonne, rainfall totals could reach 50 to 70 mm locally, with peaks of up to 100 mm, with the rain likely to persist until Thursday morning.