Up to a month of rain in 24 hours, orange alert in these departments

Several departments in the south of France are or will be affected by a Cévennes episode between Wednesday and Thursday. Significant rainfall and violent storms are expected. Nine departments have been placed on orange alert by Météo France.

A Cévennes episode began during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday with significant accumulations of rain in several departments in the south-east of France. In its 4 p.m. bulletin, this Wednesday, October 16, Météo France warns several departments. Three more departments are on orange alert for the end of the day: Ardèche, Gard and Lozère. All are on alert for rain and flooding, but orange alerts for storms or floods are also activated in certain areas. The alerts are due to a C&eacutevenol episode which brings significant accumulations of rain to the reliefs. At 3 p.m., Météo France recorded cumulative amounts of between 70 and 200 mm in the Cévennes since the start of the bad weather and up to 200/300 mm occasionally.

The bad weather will continue on Thursday, October 17, with this time nine departments placed in orange: the Alpes-Maritimes, Aveyron, Corrèze, Lot, Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Tarn are added to the three territories already on alert. All will be affected by the rain-flood watch, but storm and flood watches will be added for the Alpes-Maritimes, Ardèche, Gard and Lozère. Météo France warns that a “"change in vigilance is not excluded". 

Between Wednesday and Thursday, or in 48 hours, the meteorological agency expects accumulations of “200 to 300 mm generalized on the Cévennes relief and peaks at 400/450 mm possible, or even more occasionally”. On Thursday alone, “between 150 and 200 mm are expected on the Cévennes relief”, or about a month of rain, according to La Chaîne Météo.

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Already affected by the Cévennes episode on Wednesday morning, the Alpes Maritimes will see “a new rainy and stormy episode [set in] from midday on Thursday, intense rains will occur at times, potentially giving 70 to 80 mm in a short time, or even 100 mm locally on the relief”. A lull is expected during the night from Thursday to Friday.

In the Pyrenees, “incessant thunderstorms will set in for the day and end up giving very significant accumulations of rain, of the order of 100 mm in places, particularly on the Basque mountains” warns Météo France. 

While from Aveyron to Corrèze “rain and storms will set in in the afternoon and last until early Friday morning". “During the storms, up to 30 to 50 mm could fall in 2 to 3 hours. And more generally, over the whole episode, accumulations of 50 to 90 mm of rain are expected with possible peaks of around 100 mm towards the Lot and the west of Aveyron".

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22:33 – Already significant accumulations in the Cévennes on Wednesday evening

In its 10 p.m. bulletin, Météo-France reports “significant” observations at 9 p.m. this Wednesday evening. The meteorological service indicates that on the relief of the Cévennes and Vivarais, accumulations reaching “150 to 200 mm since the start of the episode, up to “occasionally 300 to 350 mm on the C&eacutevennes loz&eacuteriennes". Thus  … for Wednesday: only Ardèche, Gard and Lozère remain on alert after the lifting of the alert in the Alpes-Maritimes and Var. Alerts for rain-flooding, storms and floods remain active.

For Thursday, October 17, however, nine departments are placed on alert. The Alpes-Maritimes, Aveyron, Corrèze, Lot, Pyrén&eacutees-Atlantiques and Tarn are added to the three departments on alert this Wednesday. All will be targeted only by the rain-flood alert, with the exception of the Maralpin department which will also be on alert for storms.