Heavy rain strikes Gard and Hérault

CARS and roads in the Gard and Hérault have been swept away in floods caused by heavy rain over the weekend.

Storms are continuing today in the south east of the country with Météo France issuing orange weather alerts in the Drôme, Vaucluse, Bouches-du-Rhône and the Var.

These storms are due to ease towards the evening, while the rest of the country can expect bouts of sunshine and cloud.

Météo France has lifted the red alert for the Gard and Hérault departments which were pummelled by storms over the weekend. However schools in the Gard remain closed today.

It is only the tenth time that Météo France has issued a red alert since the creation of the weather alert system in 2001.

Photos: Photos of the damage in the Gard

Some areas received up to 300mm of rain between Saturday and Sunday. In Montpellier, night clubs were closed and 750 personnel, including the military, were placed on standby to deal with emergencies.

No injuries were reported, however some areas received heavy damage, with floods sweeping away vehicles and destroying roads and walls. Fields and vineyards were also badly flooded.

Photo: Flooding in Nîmes, credit Twitter/@jimmy57geo