Up to 350 mm of rain in south of France, alerts in place
Heavy rain to fall until Thursday evening in several areas
Five departments are on a heightened alert for heavy rain
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Heightened weather warnings are in place across the south-east and south of France as heavy rains and storms batter the area.
Tier-three orange alerts are in place for storms and heavy rain / flash flooding in Alpes-Maritimes, Var, Gard, and Lozère. The Ardèche department is facing a heightened warning restricted to heavy rain / flash flooding.
These warnings are set to last until at least midnight in the south-east, and into Thursday evening (October 17) in the south.
Elsewhere, most of the south and west is facing tier-two yellow warnings for winds, heavy rain / flash flooding, storms, and river flooding.
Read more: What action is advised with different Météo France weather warnings
Up to 350 mm of rain
The passage of storm Leslie through Iberia into the Mediterranean last night is the cause of the bad weather.
It has triggered an episode cévenol in the south, and has move into the central and western areas of France today, although has weakened in intensity the further north it goes
Nearly 100 mm of rainfall has already fallen in Rousses (Lozère) overnight.
Read more: Ex-hurricane Leslie set to hit south of France tonight
Intense rainfall is expected in all the departments facing alerts.
In the Alpes-Maritimes and Var, rain clouds are likely to remain overhead for most of the day, releasing up to 120 mm of rain.
State forecaster Météo France says there is little chance of the clouds moving much once rain begins, bringing heavy downpours to affected areas.
In the Cévennes mountains, up to 150 mm to 250 mm is predicted to fall between this morning and Thursday evening.
Météo France predicts in some localised areas this will be closer to 350 mm.
The most affected areas will be Aigoual and Mont Lozère – the latter also facing the risk of flooding due to saturation from last week’s rainfall.
Official advice is to limit outdoor activities in these areas and for drivers especially to avoid flooded roads.
You can keep up to date with all weather alerts on the official Météo France website.
