Video: Floods in southwest France sweep boats away

Around 20 boats have been swept away by floods in the department of Lot in the southwest of France as Storm Justine continues to cause heavy rain around the country.

Some of the boats travelled for around 30 kilometres on flooded waters, HuffPost reported. 

An orange weather warning for floods is in place for 17 departments, with weather service Météo France stating that there will be major floods, already underway or set to occur, in the southwest, north and northeast of France.

Orange alert means “be very vigilant”. 

17 dpts en #vigilanceOrange

Restez informes sur https://t.co/CSYEovTI83 pic.twitter.com/SEKRGWe9ec

— VigiMétéoFrance (@VigiMeteoFrance) February 3, 2021

A man and his 14-month old baby were swept away in their car by floods In the department of Tarn-et-Garonne in Occitanie on Tuesday (February 2). 

They were rescued by firefighters after the man had taken a road that was blocked off due to flooding, said radio network France Bleu. 

Crazy flooding in #hautsdefrance this morning. Town of #aixenissart inundated. #flood #flooding #globalwarming #environment #inondation #pasdecalais #France #meteo #weather pic.twitter.com/HvDnHljJoC

— varleypix (@varleypix) January 28, 2021

The winter of 2020/2021 is already one of the wettest ever recorded in certain resorts in the South-West of France, Météo France has stated. 

The 17 departments on orange alert are: Nord, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Vosges, Saône-et-Loire, Deux-Sèvres, Charente-Maritime, Charente, Dordogne, Lot-et-Garonne, Landes, Gironde, Haute-Garonne, Tarn-et-Garonne, Gers, Pas-de-Calais, Aisne, Oise.

Read more:

Red flood warning lifted, but 18 departments stay on alert

Strong winds, floods: Orange alert for 13 French departments