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.”
