Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

Mediterranean Storm Brings Severe Flooding to Southern France


(MENAFN) A powerful storm system over the Mediterranean brought intense rainfall to southern France on Wednesday, leading authorities to issue the highest-level red weather alert for rain and flooding in the Herault and Gard departments, according to reports.

Meteo-France issued the red alerts at 8 am local time (0600GMT), while Bouches-du-Rhone, Lozere and Ardeche were placed under orange warnings for severe weather conditions.

The Herault River experienced a sharp rise as heavy rain swept across the region.

Water levels increased from 27 centimeters at about 2 am local time to 3.34 meters more than five hours later, according to reported measurements.

Authorities said the river gained more than 2 meters within only two hours overnight as intense rainfall hit the Cevennes area.

In Moules-et-Baucels, located in the Herault department, rainfall reached nearly 140 millimeters, roughly equivalent to two months of the area’s average precipitation.

Several other rivers and waterways also rose quickly following the heavy downpours early Wednesday.

The Herault prefecture ordered schools to remain closed for the day in eight areas, including Montpellier, Mauguio, Lunel, Sommieres, Ganges, Sete, Clermont-l’Herault and Lodeve.

Public transportation services were also suspended throughout the department, according to the prefecture.

MENAFN03102026000045017640ID1111753793



MENAFN

Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.



More Story