Météo France places the Alpes-Maritimes department on red rain-flood alert for the night and until the morning of Friday October 20. Three other departments are placed in orange for rain and eight for violent winds.
Météo France places several departments in the south-eastern quarter on orange alert from this Thursday evening until tomorrow. A “particularly intense rainy-stormy” episode is expected to hit the region in the evening and overnight. The Drôme, already placed on orange alert yesterday, is once again on alert in the face of heavy rain and the risk of flooding from 8 p.m. It will be joined from midnight by Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and especially Alpes-Maritimes which will be the only department placed on red alert from 4 a.m. until 10 a.m.
“The rain will intensify on Thursday evening in the south-east of the country and reach significant intensities in the departments on orange alert during the night from Thursday to Friday,” specifies the agency bulletin. “In the Alpes Maritimes, cumulative precipitation will reach 150 to 200 mm over the duration of the episode, occasionally 250 mm, or even a little more on the highest elevations,” according to meteorologists. They add that “particular attention must be paid to valleys and urbanized areas” which are more at risk of flooding.
Heavy rains will also be expected in the Alpes de Haute Provence and the Hautes Alpes with accumulations “of the order of 100 to 130 mm, which is very unusual for these departments”. The lull should return around midday this Friday.
If heavy rain is expected in the region, in places it is especially the wind which will be violent according to Météo-France. Six departments are placed on wind orange vigilance from 9 p.m. this Thursday evening and until 6 a.m. tomorrow morning: Ardèche, Drôme, Isère, Haute-Loire, Loire and Rhône.
On the coasts, bad weather will increase the risk of large waves forming. Southern Corsica, Bouches-du-Rhône, Var and Alpes-Maritimes are therefore affected by orange vigilance.
