Bouches-du-Rhône and Var in turn placed on orange alert for storms, five departments around the Mediterranean affected by alerts

Météo-France extended orange vigilance on Monday October 19 to Bouches-du-Rhône and Var due to the risk of thunderstorms. Lozère, Gard and Hérault were already on orange alert. Gard and Hérault are for three reasons: rain-flood, storms and floods. Lozère, only because of the rains.

"A storm line is preparing to approach the coast and crosses the west of the Var department with gusts of around 90-110 km/h, hail and intensity around 30mm in less than an hour, warns Météo-France. The event is brief and crosses the territory losing intensity towards the North." Orange vigilance in Bouches-du-Rhône and Var is, for the moment, only planned between noon and 2 p.m.

Gard and Hérault must go into orange vigilance from 2 p.m. due to a Mediterranean episode, specifies Météo-France, which does not exclude a switch to red vigilance for these two territories. From midday, the rains will intensify in these two departments, with "60 mm, even 80 mm possible in less than an hour", specifies Météo-France. They could be accompanied by "strong storms, gusts close to 60-80 km/h, hail, as well as significant electrical activity and possible whirlwind phenomena in coastal areas and as far as the plain". These rains will increase in intensity at the end of the day and night from Monday to Tuesday. The forecaster expects significant rainfall accumulations, 120 to 150 in less than 3 hours.