South-east storms expected today

Residents in Paca, Ardèche, Drôme and Gard are warned to expect strong winds and heavy rainfall until tomorrow morning

ELEVEN departments in the south-east corner of France are on storm alert today, with persistent heavy rain and strong winds expected.

The Météo France warning applies to all of the Paca region, plus the Ardèche, Drôme, Gard and Corsica.

Conditions will gradually worsen throughout today and the warning is in place until at least 7.00 on Wednesday morning.

The forecaster says homeowners who live in flood zones should take precautions to protect their property.

Drivers should not use small country roads and mobile phones should be avoided outdoors in a storm.

Find out more on the Météo France site.

This latest alert comes less than a week after a similar spell of bad weather in the south-west and north-east of France.

The school holidays and the summer getaway begin in less than three weeks, on July 2.

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