Heavy rain, hail, high winds: France’s south-west put on storms alert
Winds of 100 km/h are set to hit on Thursday evening
Spectacular evening views of the Pyrénées could be spoiled by this evening’s storms
Smart_Photography_96 / Shutterstock
After barely seeing the back of the last set of storms, France’s south-west is again bracing itself for unsettled weather.
Wind gusts of up to 100km/h and heavy rain - in addition to the possibility of hailstorms near the Mediterranean coast - are expected today (July 27).
The storm is set to begin around 18:00 in the Pays-Basque area and reach its height across the south between 20:00 – 23:00.
“The period of greatest risk will be between 8pm and 11pm before the weather phenomena diminish in intensity,” said weather channel La Chaîne Météo.
Méteo France has issued weather warnings to 10 south-west departments.
Four departments face tier-three, orange warnings - the second-highest level. They are:
- Haute-Garonne
- Gers
- Pyrénées-Atlantiques
- Hautes-Pyrénées.
Warnings of this level mean people in the affected areas should be "very vigilant" as "dangerous phenomena" are expected.
Six others are on tier-two yellow warnings. They are:
- Ariège
- Aude
- Pyrénées-Orientales
- Tarn
- Hérault
- Aveyron
Warnings of this level mean residents should be cautious when going outside, and keep up to date with local weather reports.
Elsewhere, departments in the far north of France near the Belgian border are also facing weather warnings for flooding due to heavy rain.
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