The weather is deteriorating in France this weekend and depression Louis will hit the north of the country on Thursday, causing gusts of wind and heavy rain.
Météo France has placed 26 departments on orange alert for violent winds, particularly in Île-de-France, Normandy and Hauts-de-France.
In detail, the Nord, Pas-de-Calais, Somme, Aisne, Oise, Seine-Maritime, Eure, Calvados, Manche, Orne, Val-d'Oise , Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-de-Marne, Paris, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-et-Marne, Yvelines, Essonne and Eure-et-Loir are concerned.
The Ardennes, Marne, Meuse, Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Hautes-Pyrénées were added this Thursday morning to the list of departments placed in orange.
Two other departments, Vendée and Deux-Sèvres, are still placed on orange rain-flood vigilance.
In the climatic episode, cumulative rainfall reaching 30 to 50 mm is expected, up to 60 mm.
🔶 26 departments in Orange (https://t.co/CSYEovTI83) pic.twitter.com/YsX7goRgH3
— VigiMétéoFrance (@VigiMeteoFrance) February 22, 2024
On Wednesday, five departments were already placed by Météo France on yellow alert for heavy rain: Manche, Morbihan, Finistère, Loire-Atlantique and Vendée.
This particularly “sustained and lasting” precipitation, the agency specified, raised fears of “overflowing of rivers” and “floods” particularly in Brittany.
These heavy rains were accompanied by a strengthening of the wind with gusts of up to 70 km/h from Finistère to Morbihan, up to 80 km/h on the Channel coasts.
A disturbance from West to East
The “very active” rainy and windy disturbance, according to Météo France, will cross the country from West to East during the day on Thursday, with strengthening winds in the afternoon.
Depression Louis will deepen in the afternoon in the English Channel and the North Sea.
Heavy rain and strong gusts of westerly wind are expected, reaching up to 90 to 100 km/h inland, with occasional gusts to 110 km/h.
On the coasts, gales can reach 120 km/h.
The disturbance will spread during the day over regions going from the North-East to the South-West, with gusts of up to 70 to 90 km/h and even peaks of 100 km/h in the evening near the Pyrenees.
Météo France also indicates that the extension of orange “wind” vigilance to other departments in the northern two thirds of the country, as well as to the departments along the Pyrenees is not excluded.
In the rest of the country, the weather will be unstable between clearings, showers, even sleet with gusts expected up to 90/110 km/h on the Atlantic coast and the Channel, and 80/90 km/h inland.
In the evening, the Tramontane will also accelerate until it reaches 90 to 100 km/h at peak.
Currently, 61 departments are affected by a yellow alert on Thursday for risks of rain-flooding, violent winds, storms, waves-submersion and avalanches.
Temperatures will drop: in the evening and the following night, the rain-snow limit will drop to 800-1000 meters.
Heavy snowfall is expected in the Alps.
A hectic weekend
This weekend, the weather conditions also look set to be particularly rough.
Météo France predicts showers, particularly intense on the Atlantic and Channel coasts.
Rainfall accumulations will need to be monitored, particularly in Aquitaine.
Good news for the ski resorts, on the other hand: it will snow from mid-mountains, even at low altitude temporarily.
Sunday and Monday, a depression should keep the weather unsettled across the country.