More storms to hit southern France, 3 regions on alert
Some more storms are predicted on Monday in three French southern regions. Only a week after torrential rain killed 20 people in the French Riviera.
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Violent storms are expected on Monday afternoon in the Gard region, in Bouches du Rhône and in Vaucluse.
The Météo France weather service has warned the orange alert could last until Tuesday morning as storms with strong rains may trigger floods.
“Cumulative rainfalls could reach 100 to 150 mm and up to 200 mm in a very short time-scale”, said Météo France.
The warning could be extended to the Var region later on Monday.
The Var has already registered 18 local communes in a state of natural disaster following last weekend’s flooding which swept across the French Riviera.
According to expert Emmanuel Wesolek from the French Observatory for storms, the Var is a very sensitive region because of its “very dense urban area, close to hilly areas, so any rainfall that pours down hilly regions accumulates in the flat areas by the seaside. So all this could create a much more serious situation very quickly, rather than in flat areas."
The cost of last weekend’s flood damage was estimated at some 600 million euros.
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