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SEE: Metre of snow in Pyrénées and floods hit south-east France
A roadside assistance worker was killed after being struck by a car and visitors to a ski resort were unable to leave due to snow blocking the access road
Severe weather struck several parts of France at the weekend causing dramatic scenes, particularly in the south-east.
Heavy rain caused flooding in a number of towns and coastal gales brought down trees. Snow covered the lowest altitudes of the Alps and more than a metre fell in the Pyrénées.
A roadside assistance worker was killed near La Turbie, close to the French border with Monaco, after consecutive accidents on the A8.
The man was responding to an initial accident between two cars, caused by the rainfall, and was subsequently hit by a third vehicle driving too quickly in the heavy rain.
Four other people were injured, two severely, including another roadside assistance worker and two gendarmes.
Vinci, the motorway operator, has filed a complaint for manslaughter.
A dozen or so visitors were forced to remain in place for an extra day at the Isola2000 ski resort in the Alps behind Nice after more than 50cm of snow fell on Saturday, closing off the access road.
It meant arriving tourists were also unable to reach their accommodation.
Four departments still face tier-three orange weather alerts – Savoie, Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-Maritimes (avalanches) and Charente-Maritime (river flooding).
Read more: What action is advised with different Météo France weather warnings
Weeks of rain falls in south-east
Nice and the Alpes-Maritimes department were particularly hit by the heavy rain and stormy weather.
Trees along the Promenade des Anglais were blown down by the gales, and many areas saw between 60mm and 80mm of rain fall.
⚡️ VIDEO CHOC / #Météo : D'autres arbres ont été déracinés et sont tombés sur la Promenade des Anglais à #Nice (06), dans le secteur du Parc Phoenix/Ferber. Trois voies sur quatre sont par endroits inutilisables. Il est conseillé d'éviter le secteur si possible ! pic.twitter.com/yHWDR0LBiZ
— FranceNews24 (@FranceNews24) March 3, 2024
In some towns this was even higher with 114mm recorded in Vence.
In Antibes underground parking lots were flooded, and a number of trees were blown over inside the town, blocking roads for hours.
Grasse saw heavy rain flooding hit its streets.
#Coursegoule dans les préalpes de #Grasse et #Moulinet dans la #Bevera dépassent déjà les 100mm de pluie en 12h ⚠️ Le plus fort de l'épisode arrive ⚠️ #Prudence #Meteo06
— Nice Météo 06 (@NiceMeteo06) March 3, 2024
Vallon de Pierrefeu en crue par Laurence Stillitano Blanc pic.twitter.com/enWZjvZsJE
Rivers also rose above normal levels despite river flood alerts not being raised, worrying nearby residents.
Situation toujours tendu sur le département des #AlpesMaritimes avec les cours d'eau qui continuent leur crues. #Meteo06
— Nice Météo 06 (@NiceMeteo06) March 3, 2024
L'absence de vigilance orange interpelle les habitants qui habitent à proximité des rivières.
Quelques images du #Loup prisent sur #VilleneuveLoubet pic.twitter.com/MmujmxCo0W
However, there was also snow at the foothills of the Alps, with one driver taking footage of the changes throughout the day.
⚠️❄️ #DirectMétéo
— Météo Côte d'Azur ☀️ (@MeteoCotedAzur) March 3, 2024
03/03/2024 : Soyez vigilants ! Les axes routiers sont perturbées avec la météo d’aujourd’hui. Voici une vidéo prise depuis la vallée de la #Tinée(06) en direction de #SaintSauveursurTinée(06) puis de la station d’#Auron(06). On passe de l’#automne à l’#hiver ! pic.twitter.com/G6FLh7WLpv
Snow delights in Pyrénées
Tourists in the Pyrénées were greeted by falling snow throughout the weekend, and in some places more than a metre fell cumulatively.
In lower altitudes of around 1,000 metres, around 25cm - 30cm of snow fell overnight Saturday to Sunday, leading to beautiful sweeping landscapes for those profiting from the final week of the winter holiday period.
Les Monts d'Olmes #ariege +25cm cette nuit 📷 Dorian M pic.twitter.com/n8T4Vyh6HP
— Météo Pyrénées (@Meteo_Pyrenees) March 3, 2024
In the Cévennes and Massif Central, snowfall also hit many mountainous valleys.
The period of intense rainfall is now finished with meteorologists predicting a dry week ahead, although next weekend may see a repeat of the rainfall.
Read more: What to do (and not do) during heavy rain and flood alerts in France
Some rain is forecast in the west of France at the beginning of the week, and slightly chilly temperatures in the north but otherwise average temperatures are expected.
You can keep up to date with all weather alerts on the Météo France website. Note that the level of warnings frequently changes, particularly during periods of intense weather.
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