Severe weather in southern France: at least one dead, 17,000 homes without power — Interia
Heavy downpours in southern France caused local flooding. At least one person has died, and about 17,000 homes in several departments were left without electricity. As Interia reports, intense rainfall began on Monday afternoon and intensified overnight.
Record rainfall and evacuations
In some places, nearly 400 litres of water per square metre have fallen since the severe weather began. In Salon-de-Provence, around 190 litres per square metre were recorded in one day. Independent meteorologist Paul Marquis said it was the wettest day in the city's history, at least since 1938.
The body of a man was found in the morning in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, but the circumstances of his death have not yet been established. Firefighters in the department responded to more than 200 calls. Saint-Chamas, Châteauneuf-les-Martigues and Saint-Mitre-les-Remparts were also affected by flooding. A large-scale search operation involving a helicopter was conducted in Saint-Mitre-les-Remparts.
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Road closures and thunderstorms in Corsica
In Saint-Chamas, 235 litres of water per square metre fell in 24 hours. Several roads were closed due to flooding and landslides, and local authorities urged residents to avoid non-essential travel and stay at home. More than 30 roads and bridges were closed in the Gard department. In Port-de-Bouc, evacuations were carried out for people who could not or did not want to remain in their homes, while 23 people received assistance in Hérault.
Orange weather warnings were in effect in several departments, while a red alert was issued for northern Corsica. Since morning, more than 11,000 lightning strikes have been recorded in the area around the island, including 3,400 strikes in Corsica. According to French forecasters, downpours and thunderstorms were expected to continue for several more hours, including in the Gard and Ardèche departments.
