Several regions remain on alert due to flooding, but the situation is improving, at least temporarily.
Météo France is thus maintaining six departments on orange alert this Tuesday morning due to flooding: Pas-de-Calais, Seine-et-Marne, Gironde, Dordogne, Charente and Charente-Maritime.
Furthermore, 40 departments in the country are on yellow alert (level 2 out of 4) due to the same reason.
🔶 6 departments in Orange (https://t.co/CSYEovTI83) pic.twitter.com/jY9S1FqATJ
— VigiMétéoFrance (@VigiMeteoFrance) February 28, 2024
Vigicrues specifies that the Canche, the Grand Morin, the Dronne and the Isle aval are still affected by overflows requiring orange vigilance.
But the organization responsible for monitoring river levels is optimistic in the short term.
“Generally speaking, the decline is well underway.
On the sections in orange alert, the maximums have been reached or are about to be reached.
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In detail, “the levels of the Canche are high;
a slow decline has begun.
A significant flood is in progress on the Dronne aval and the Isle aval;
maximum levels are reached, they will remain high all day.
In Seine-et-Marne, the decline has begun upstream, but levels will continue to rise until the end of the day downstream of the section near the confluence with the Marne.
In Paris, “the level of the Seine has started to rise again after the rains on Monday and due to the increase in the levels of the Marne”.
At 8:20 a.m., at the Austerlitz bridge, where the measurements were taken, the river level was 3.37m.
For comparison, during the last major flood in the capital, in 2016, the Seine rose to 6.10 m;
during the historic flood of 1910 it reached 8.62 m.
Return of rain in the coming days
The forecasts, however, are not very optimistic.
After some scattered rain this Wednesday in flooded areas, it should be heavier on Thursday.
Friday afternoon and this weekend even more intense precipitation is expected.
Finally, on another note, orange vigilance for avalanches in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques must be lifted in the morning.
Since Monday, “30 cm to 40 cm of snow has fallen around 1000 m, 60 cm to 80 cm above 1200 m, and sometimes more than 1 m of snow above 2000 m,” Météo France reports.
In ski areas and more particularly off-piste, the danger remains significant with a risk raised to 4 on a scale of 5 in almost the entire Pyrenees massif.
It is therefore strongly recommended to stay in marked areas.