Autumn storms to hit southern France

Meteo-France has warned that épisodes méditerranéen' storms will hit the Languedoc and Cévennes region of southwest France later today.

Sometimes referred to as 'épisodes cévenol' due to their regularity in the mountainous Cévennes, these storms can bring several months worth of rain in a matter of hours and cause dangerous flash flooding.

The national forecaster said that storms are expected from mid-afternoon, and will bring heavy localised rain and strong winds of more than 70kph. Areas east of the Rhône are expected to avoid the worst of the conditions until later in the evening.

Rival forecaster La Chaîne Météo, meanwhile, has put the Gard and Ardèche departments on orange alert ahead of the expected storms.

The public awareness campaign, launched in early September, advises people in areas likely to be affected by the storms - caused when mild, unstable air rising from a still warm sea after summer meets cold air from the land - to stay indoors (upstairs if possible), check on vulnerable neighbours, avoid waterways that can quickly become flooded, and keep informed by listening to local radio stations.

These weather systems are usually short-lived - but, in November 2011, one stalled over the Ardèche, and dumped 1,000mm of rain in just five days.