Heightened storm warnings in place across France: hail and strong winds expected
Rainfall set to equal monthly averages for August in a few hours
The storms are set to hit the south-east on Thursday
James Whitlock / Shutterstock
Heightened weather warnings are in place across France today (August 27) as violent storms hit several regions.
A series of powerful storms are forecast, impacting areas from the south-west up to the German border, passing through the Massif Central and Alps as the day progresses.
In its 10:00 bulletin, state forecaster Météo France placed 28 departments on a heightened tier-three warning for storms, from the Pyrénées-Atlantiques in the south-west up to Doubs in the east.
Up to 80mm of rain is set to fall in parts of the Auvergne area and in central-eastern France, and hail is also likely in departments with heightened warnings in place.
This includes in the Occitanie region, with hail expected in the afternoon during a 50-minute barrage.
Winds of potentially 100 km/h are expected alongside the hail and rain.
In some areas, the level of rainfall may equal averages for the entire month of August in just a few hours, leading to fears of flooding.
Several departments facing storm warnings also have a less-severe tier-two yellow alert in place for heavy rains/flash flooding from the state forecaster.
Along the Atlantic, ‘houle cyclonique’ waves caused by ex-Hurricane Erin continue to reach up to five metres in height along the Brittany and Pays-Basque coastlines.
Storms are set to concentrate in the south-east of France tomorrow (August 28), bringing heavy rain and hail to the Riviera.
Heightened alerts are not yet in place but Météo France may revise warning levels throughout today and tomorrow morning.
It is always advised to keep up with weather conditions through local media and the forecaster’s official website.
Property owners should prepare their homes for the incoming storms to minimise potential damage.
Unlike with property damage from other weather phenomena such as droughts or river flooding, homeowners do not need the declaration of a natural disaster zone (catastrophe naturelle) in their commune to make an insurance claim over storm-based damage.
However, you may need to acquire a 'lightning certificate' (attestation de foudroiement) from weather authorities to prove conditions in your area at the time of the incident - you can find out how to get one here.
Read our article here surrounding best practices during heightened weather alerts.
