An intense storm will bring heavy rain and hail to the north of France as wet weather sweeps much of the country on May 1 and into May 2. The state weather service, Météo France, has issued weather warnings for many departments.
Wet and overcast weather is forecast to cover much of the country on May 1, with the exception of the Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin departments.
The weather will become even more unsettled by the afternoon, with blustery winds of up to 50km/h on the Mediterranean coast and in Corsica.
Departments on alert:
The storm will sweep across the Paris, Bourgogne and Hauts de France regions on May 1, before dissipating on May 2Météo France
From late afternoon, a storm is forecast to bring hail and intense rain in the Paris, Bourgogne and Hauts-de-France regions. This is expected to last until the early hours of May 2.
The weather service has placed 14 departments on high (orange) alert, and 51 on (yellow) alert due in large part to the storm and the risk of local flooding, but also due to the danger of avalanches in the Alps and Pyrenees.
The 14 departments on high alert are: Somme, Aisne, Oise, Marne, Aube, Yonne, Seine-et-Marne, Essonne, Yvelines, Val-d’Oise, Val-de-Marne, Seine-Saint-Denis, Hauts-de-Seine and Paris.
People in at-risk areas should anticipate local flooding of water courses and avoid unnecessary travel, warns Météo France.
It also notes that while Normandy is not on high alert, the rain is forecast to be particularly heavy in the region.
Temperatures are expected to be slightly below average for the season, with highs of 25C in Strasbourg and lows of 10C in Aurillac forecast.
