'Rotten' weather set to continue
Storm warning for the south coast as Météo France predicts autumnal conditions will stay until end of month
THE SOUTH coast of France will be hit by "violent" storms and heavy rain today - and the bad weather looks set to continue across France for the rest of the week.
Météo France has issued a storm warning for five departments along the Mediterranean coast: the Alpes-Maritimes, Var, Bouches-du-Rhône, Gard and Hérault.
The forecaster is encouraging people in the affected area to avoid outdoor leisure activities and has called for extra vigilance if you are camping.
Winds of up to 100kph are crossing the south of France, from the Aquitaine towards Italy, accompanied by heavy rain.
The equivalent of a month of rain is expected to fall in a few hours in some areas, and Tour de France cyclists face a difficult day as they head from the Drôme to Gap in the Hautes-Alpes.
The alert is in place until 6.00 on Wednesday morning.
"This type of phenomenon rarely occurs in the middle of July," Météo France says in a warning on its website.
The forecaster says the "rotten" weather will stay until the end of the month, with rain almost everywhere and temperatures up to 7°C below the seasonal norm.
Photo: Jerome Dancette - Fotolia.com
