Orange vigilance for rain and flooding in Gironde and Charente-Maritime

Gironde and Charente-Maritime have been placed under orange vigilance for ‘rain and flooding’ from Monday 20 to Tuesday 21 May, from 7pm today. Météo-France forecasts that frequent showers, sometimes stormy, will affect these regions during the night of Monday to Tuesday and will persist until at least the end of Tuesday morning.

The forecaster warns of a ‘spell of heavy rain tonight and tomorrow morning over the north of Gironde and the south of Charente-Maritime’, with cumulative rainfall of between 50 and 80 mm.

In addition, the majority of French departments have been placed under yellow alert for thunderstorm risks. Météo-France indicates that ‘severe thunderstorms’ could affect Ile-de-France, Normandy and the Centre-Val-de-Loire region.

An improvement forecast for early June…

Although the bad weather, punctuated by clear spells, will continue for several more days, a real improvement is expected in June.

The French thunderstorm observatory Keraunos warns on X that the ‘Scandinavian anticyclonic blockade is likely to persist and even intensify’ until the end of May/beginning of June.

Sylvain Chave, Scientific Director of Predict Services, says: ‘There could be an improvement in the first few days of June, continuing into the following week. He also adds: ‘Just a little more patience, as summer is about to arrive.’