Record-breaking downpours hit southern France following a heat wave
In southern France, an exceptionally heavy rain fell following yet another period of abnormal heat. Over the past 24 hours, the region has seen numerous records set for monthly precipitation totals.
Many areas in southeastern and southwestern France have seen record monthly rainfall amounts over the past 24 hours.
In the Alpes-Maritimes department, a record of 122.8 mm was recorded, compared to the previous monthly record of 49.8 mm set in 2023. By order of the prefect, vacationers were evacuated from several campgrounds.
In the southeastern department of Drôme, 102 mm of rain fell, while the previous record from 1992 was 78 mm.
In the southwestern department of Aude, 28.6 mm of rainfall fell in just 12 minutes in the evening. A severe thunderstorm caused chaos for attendees of a local festival—tents and banners were blown away by the wind, trees fell, and people were caught in a hailstorm. Several roads remained flooded as of this morning.
Rain, thunderstorms, and squalls continue in southern France, prompting local authorities to urge residents to exercise extreme caution and avoid travel.
This was reported by BFMTV.
The July heatwave in France caused more than 1,200 deaths.
We previously reported that France will once again be hit by a heat wave with temperatures reaching 40 degrees.
In France, officials estimate that the extreme heat may have caused more than 2,000 deaths in a single week. According to preliminary estimates, a significant number of fatalities may be directly linked to prolonged exposure to abnormally high temperatures.
