Storm warnings in three departments

RESIDENTS of Loire-Atlantique, Finistère and Morbihan are warned to expect violent storms this afternoon.

National forecaster Météo-France has said the storm conditions will last from 4pm until about 10pm and warned of “high electrical activity, locally heavy falls of hail, wind gusts of around 80kph and intense rainfall of up to 50mm”.

It warned that property could be damaged and lives may be at risk, adding that the storms will move away slowly due to low windspeeds at high altitude.

Today’s storms are just the latest in a string of weather events to hit the battered residents of Finistere and Morbihan.

Earlier this year, the two departments were particularly badly hit as a “conveyor belt” of winter storms hammered into the west coast of France, which caused flooding, mudslides, high seas and destroyed parts of the coast.

In May, the government declared a “catastrophe naturelle” in 17 departments in France, including many along the Atlantic coast.

Météo-France also said that conditions are ideal for storms to develop elsewhere.

Photo: Axel Rouvin