Orange alert for violent winds on Channel coast

Three departments in the north of France have been put on orange alert for violent winds this morning and during the afternoon - and Channel ferry crossings are running with delays.

Pas-de-Calais, Nord and Somme residents have been warned that they will face winds reaching up to 90 or 100kph in gusts and that they should limit going out into country areas or where there is a risk of flying debris.

Exposed coastal areas in Pas-de-Calais are likely to bear the brunt – with Météo France warning of gusts of possibly even 120kph – and other neighbouring departments along the Channel coast are on yellow alert for strong winds.

P&O Ferries had delays of 120-150 minutes on crossings at mid-day and asks passengers to keep an eye on the company's Twitter feed P&OFerries Updates for up-to-the-minute information.

The winds are the result of a strong depression over the British Isles and the winds are due from 10.00 to this evening, when the orange alert is due to end at 20.00.

A band of rain is running along coastal departments this morning heading towards the Loire valley, Paris and north-eastern France and this afternoon rain will move from Vendée and Poitou-Charentes towards Centre and the north-east.

Best temperatures this afternoon will see 13C in Brittany and Pays-de-la-Loire and 14-19C elsewhere, although 20-21C is expected in the Rhône valley and Mediterranean coastal areas, except the extreme south-east where it is markedly cooler.