A fourth département under orange alert

Following on from Jura, Ain and Haute-Savoie, Corrèze is the latest department to join the list of areas under orange vigilance for rain and flooding. Météo-France announced on Thursday September 26 that weather conditions in this central French department could lead to heavy rainfall, similar to that already observed in the three eastern departments.

Rainfall is expected to continue uninterrupted for almost 12 hours, with cumulative amounts of between 50 and 80 mm, and even up to 100 mm for the whole episode, according to the weather forecast. The heavy rainfall increases the risk of river overflows and mudslides. In Corrèze, which has already been hit by heavy rainfall in recent days, the amounts expected on Thursday could vary between 50 and 60 mm, with local peaks of up to 80 mm, particularly in the north of the department.

A weather phenomenon to watch closely

For the time being, Météo-France has no plans to extend the orange vigilance to the neighboring departments of Savoie and Isère, but recommends keeping a close eye on the evolution of accumulations, particularly in the usually sensitive areas. This bad weather is largely caused by an “atmospheric river”, a corridor of moist air from the West Indies that feeds the rainy disturbances in Europe, increasing the intensity of precipitation.

The situation remains under surveillance, and the authorities are urging caution in view of the potential risk of local flooding.