Storm alert: Six departments on orange for hail, rain, and 100k/h wind

Six departments in northwest France are on orange alert for storms today (Sunday, May 15), ahead of weather that is set to spread as far as the Pyrenees by the end of the day.

The departments are: Seine-Maritime, Eure, Calvados, Manche, Orne and Sarthe.

Storms are expected to start here this afternoon and last until the evening. The weather is expected to be especially stormy in Normandy, with marked thunder and rain spreading to the Aquitaine region, into Paris, the west of Burgundy, Champagne, and the Hauts-de-France.

The storms may bring hailstorms and gusts of wind of 80-90 to 100km/h.

Forecaster Météo France said that the episode "requires special monitoring because of a significant risk of violent phenomena", including "heavy precipitation, hail and wind gusts".

The area east of the Pyrenees, including the Alps and the Jura, is set to see more rain in the afternoon.

Elsewhere in the country, it is set to be sunny, although some areas may see more clouds as the day continues.

In addition to the departments on orange alert above, the rest of the country is on yellow alert for strong wind, except Ardèche, Gard, Hérault, Vaucluse, Bouches- du-Rhône, and Corsica.

Temperatures are expected to be low compared to recent days, at just 4-9C in Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine, and 10-17C degrees in the rest of the country.

However, higher temperatures are expected near the Channel, at 21-26C, and up to 26-31C in the Mediterranean.

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