Storm Herminia: Strong Winds, Floods, and Avalanche Risks Across Eleven Departments in Orange Alert

Storm Herminia is sweeping across France, prompting orange weather alerts in several departments for Sunday, January 26, and Monday, January 27. According to Météo-France, nine departments are under alert on Sunday for risks of heavy rain, flooding, and strong winds. On Monday, the number of affected departments will increase to eleven, with additional alerts for wave-submersion and avalanche risks.

Affected Departments:

• Sunday, January 26:
  The Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Hautes-Pyrénées, and Rhône are under orange alert for wind gusts reaching 110 to 120 km/h in mountainous areas and up to 150 km/h on exposed ridges and peaks. In Brittany, Morbihan is under a rain-flood alert starting at 6 p.m., while Ille-et-Vilaine, Mayenne, Calvados, and Orne remain under alert for flooding. The Maine-et-Loire joined the list in the afternoon. Meanwhile, the Côtes-d’Armor and Finistère, initially under strong wind alerts, were downgraded to yellow alert by midday.

• Monday, January 27:
  Finistère and Morbihan will return to orange alert starting at 1 p.m. due to wave-submersion risks caused by increasing winds along the coast. The Hautes-Alpes will be placed under avalanche alert starting at 9 a.m. The Rhône and the two Pyrénées departments will remain on alert for strong winds. Flooding will continue to threaten Breton departments, as well as Mayenne and Calvados.

Concerning Weather Conditions:
Wind gusts reaching 130 km/h are expected along the Breton coast, with speeds up to 100 km/h inland. Saturated soils in the region, particularly in Brittany, are exacerbating flood risks following heavy rainfall in recent days. The Pyrenees will also experience violent winds and significant precipitation in both valleys and mountain ranges.

According to Vigicrues, Breton rivers already in flood will continue to rise due to additional rainfall expected on Sunday, posing risks of further overflow. In Rennes, the equivalent of 15 days of rainfall is anticipated, forcing authorities to evacuate several streets near the Ille-et-Rance canal.

Herminia’s impact is expected to be serious, with extreme conditions also affecting the Lyon area, where winds of 100 to 110 km/h are forecast in the evening. This could lead to an expansion of orange alerts in neighboring departments.