Weather warnings in 11 departments as France’s stormy spell continues

Stormy conditions continue to dominate France’s weather forecasts this week, with 11 departments in central and eastern areas placed on orange alert.

In its mid-morning bulletin, national forecaster Météo France warned of violent storms, with hail, winds gusting up to 100kph and sudden heavy rainfall in Ain, Doubs, Jura, Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin, Haute-Savoie, Territoire de Belfort, Allier, Loire, Puy-de-Dome and Rhône departments.

Its orange weather alert - the forecaster’s second-highest - urges residents in those departments to ‘be very vigilant’ of the impending weather conditions. A further 67 departments are currently on the less serious ‘yellow alert’ for storms.

Up to 30mm of rain could fall per hour, meteorologists said, with the storms forecast to hit between 14.00 and 18.00.

Two of those departments - Puy-de-Dôme and Allier - have been on orange weather alert for storms since Sunday, while Loire and Rhône were added in the forecaster’s early morning update.

Météo France said that this latest thunderstorm activity would decrease overnight when, it said, it expected to be able to lift its weather alert.