60 French departments on orange storm alert, hail and winds expected

Article update at 10:25 after five further departments were placed on orange storm alert, bringing the total to 65. These are: Ariège, Nord, Pas-de-Calais, Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin.

Sixty-five French departments spanning from the southwest to the northeast of the country are on orange alert for storms today (June 4).

Orange is the second highest alert level and means people should be ”very vigilant”.

Météo-France states: “After a lull this morning, this afternoon occasionally violent thunderstorms will develop over the Pays de Loire, Normandy, Ile-de-France, the Massif Central and the south-west of the country.

“They will reach the Centre, Burgundy, Lorraine, Champagne and Picardy in the evening.

“These thunderstorms will be accompanied by intense rain (locally 40 to 60mm will fall over a short period of time), violent gusts of wind and hail.

“The risk of large hail is particularly high in the south-west of the country and over Massif Central.”

The west and north-west of France are on yellow alert, meaning people should “be attentive”, while the south-east is unscathed and remains green.

The storms have been caused by a low-pressure system that moved up from Portugal.

Météo-France gives the following advice to people areas on orange alert:

• Stay away from trees and waterways
• Take shelter in a well-constructed building
• Stay informed and avoid travel where possible
• Protect property that is exposed to the wind or that may be flooded
• Avoid using telephones and electrical appliances during the storm

For more information see Météo-France’s website here, or follow the developments on Twitter here.

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