South on alert as gusts reach 137kph

FIVE departments in the south of France are being battered by a particularly strong Mistral wind, prompting Météo France to issue a weather alert.

The forecaster is advising people to limit their travel, to tie down objects that could be carried away by the wind and not to make any repairs to their roof until the weather episode is over.

The orange alert applies to the Gard, Drôme, Ardèche, Vaucluse and Bouches-du-Rhône and is in place until 16.00 on Monday.

Gusts of up to 137kph were recorded in Avignon on Sunday afternoon, 121kph in Orange and 110kph in Nîmes.