Vigilance orange for rain and flooding: the Gard and the Var under surveillance this Friday 25 October

Météo France has placed the Gard and Var départements under an orange alert for the risk of heavy rain and flooding this Friday 25 October. A Mediterranean episode, characterised by particularly heavy rainfall over a short period, is expected in the south of France this weekend.

Although this episode is less violent than that of 16 and 17 October, Météo France remains on its guard. From Thursday afternoon, showers will increase in number and become more frequent, particularly in the south of the Ardèche, the Gard and the east of the Lozère. In addition, thunderstorms will form at sea, threatening to reach the south of Provence as well as parts of Corsica, particularly the west and south of the island.

Persistent and intense rain

The bad weather will continue throughout the weekend. From the Hérault to the Alpes-Maritimes, thunderstorms will be widespread, and the situation will be particularly critical in the Cévennes and the Gard, where ‘continuous’ rain is forecast. Cumulative rainfall could reach between 15 and 30 mm, or even 60 to 100 mm locally over the day. Corsica will also be affected by heavy rain.

High levels of vigilance on Saturday

Saturday promises to be a particularly worrying day, with the storms intensifying in the south-east quarter of the country. Météo France points out that the storms will extend from the south of the Rhône-Alpes region to Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and the east of the Languedoc region, with significant accumulations along the coast, particularly between the Bouches-du-Rhône and the Alpes-Maritimes.

Although the rainfall is expected to diminish this Sunday, it will still be present over a large part of south-east France, including Corsica, adding to the heavy rain already recorded over the previous days. Météo France is therefore calling for caution, particularly on Saturday, which looks set to be the high point of this weather episode.