Latest news with #Meteo-France
Metro
21-05-2025
- Climate
- Metro
Map shows scale of flooding across southern France which left three people dead
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video At least three people have died after severe flooding and storms hit the south of France. An elderly couple were killed yesterday after the floods swept through the seaside town of Le Lavandou, which sits along the south eastern coast of France. Their car was swept away by the floodwaters and the woman's body was found trapped inside the wreckage, France24 reported. A man also died in the town of Vidauban, around 18 miles north of Le Lavandou, after getting stuck in his car. Police are investigating their causes of death but prosecutor Samuel Finielzsaid the situation is 'quite difficult on the ground'. Mayor of Le Lavandou, Gil Bernandi, said the aftermath of the flooding were similar to 'scenes of war', with 'bridges torn down' and 'roads torn up'. He said during a press conference: 'The roads, the bridges, the paving stones, there is no more electricity, water, or wastewater treatment plant. The shock is significant because the phenomenon is truly violent and incomprehensible. 'As we speak, an entire part of the commune is inaccessible.' The Var region of southeastern France has been placed under an orange alert for rain, flooding and thunderstorms by Meteo-France, the country's national weather service. Pictures from the area show cars submerged in floodwater, people running to safety and homes flooded out. Yellow flood alerts have also been issued for northern parts of France for today and tomorrow. The town's mayor, Claude Pianetti, wrote on Facebook: 'After a few hours of intense rain on our municipality, we regret to mourn the death of a person drowned in his vehicle. 'A female driver and her passenger got engaged on a country road completely submerged and fell into the ditch. 'A witness who was otherwise elected as a municipal, helped the two people who could only save the female driver. 'Firefighters, PM, police officers and their divers are still on site to extract the vehicle from the stream. We extend our sincere condolences to the victim's family and relatives.' Heavy rain also forced a TGV train service from Toulouse to Paris to become dislodged. More than 500 passengers were evacuated by bus after the train was forced to stop on the tracks overnight near Tonneins. The rescue operation involved involved dozens of firefighters, police and volunteers. Mayor of Tonneins, Dante Rinaudo, told AFP: 'We narrowly avoided a disaster, the tracks were exposed and the TGV was suspended.' He said that the storms should be recognised by the government as a natural disaster. More Trending Another train also travelling between Toulouse and Paris got stranded in Agen. State rail operator SNCF said trains would be suspended for 'at least several days' between Agen and Marmande. It confirmed services between Bordeaux and Toulouse would also be affected. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Three dead, two missing as deadly storm and flood hit southern France
Severe storms and heavy rainfall have caused devastating floods in southeastern France, particularly in the Var region. At least three people have died, and two others are missing. An elderly couple, aged 85 and 84, were found dead in their car in the Cavalière area of Le Lavandou. Floodwaters swept away their vehicle as they tried to leave their home. The woman's body remained trapped inside the wreckage. Another woman died in the commune of Vidauban after her car fell into a flooded ditch. A local official managed to rescue the driver but could not save the passenger. The storms have caused widespread damage, flooding streets and leaving hundreds of homes without electricity or water. Railway lines have been damaged, leading to train cancellations between Bordeaux and Toulouse. Hailstones "the size of ping-pong balls" were reported in some areas. In Le Lavandou, 255 mm of rain fell in just one hour, causing significant destruction. Mayor Gil Bernardi described the aftermath as "scenes of war," with roads torn up, bridges destroyed, and essential services disrupted. "There is nothing left, no electricity, no drinking water, no sewage treatment plant," he said. Live Events Emergency services, including over 200 firefighters and 35 gendarmes, have been deployed to assist with rescue operations. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his condolences to the victims' families and pledged support for the affected communities. "We will be there, with the rescue forces, to get through the next few hours. There to rebuild," he stated. The French weather agency Meteo-France has issued an orange alert for rain, flooding, and storms in the region. Residents are advised to stay indoors and avoid travel as rescue efforts continue.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Three dead and two missing after floods hit southern France
Three people have died after severe thunderstorms caused flooding in the Var region of southeastern France, according to reports. The rain has also caused widespread damage as Meteo-France, the country's national weather agency, placed the region under an orange alert for rain, flooding and thunderstorms, French broadcaster BFM TV reported. Two of those who died were an elderly couple who were in their car as it was swept away by floodwaters in the seaside town of Le Lavandou, France 24 reported. Meanwhile, the gendarmerie said around 2.30pm local time (1:30pm UK time) that a person had been found drowned in their vehicle in the commune of Vidauban. Le Lavandou and the commune of Bormes-les-Mimosas were particularly hard hit by the storms. Gil Bernardi, mayor of Le Lavandou, said during a press conference: "The roads, the bridges, the paving stones, there is no more electricity, water, or wastewater treatment plant. The shock is significant because the phenomenon is truly violent and incomprehensible. "As we speak, an entire part of the commune is inaccessible." Power and water outages were also reported in the town of Cavaliere where 250mm of rain fell in the space of one hour. A parking lot collapsed in the town, and dozens of people were rescued, according to the authorities. Around 200 firefighters and 35 gendarmes have reportedly been responding to the floods in Var. Meteo-France had recorded cumulative rainfall exceeding 10cm as of 10am local time.
Local France
02-03-2025
- Climate
- Local France
Four dead as French island reels from devastating cyclone
Local people expressed shock at the level of destruction after Cyclone Garance struck the territory of 900,000 people Friday, uprooting trees, tearing off roofs and flooding homes. Entire streets were inundated and cars washed away. A red alert, ordering the population to stay indoors, was lifted on Saturday morning after Garance was downgraded to a severe tropical storm. The body of a man was found trapped under a tree in the capital, Saint-Denis, officials said Saturday. The other victims, two women and a man, were carried away by flash floods, trapped in a mudslide or killed by an electrical fire, the authorities said Friday. "We are deeply shaken," Samantha Boyer said in Saint-Denis where one of the women had been swept away. "We tried to get the lady out of the drainage outlet," she said. "We called all the neighbours and really tried to rescue her, but we couldn't." The east and north of the island bore the brunt of the damage. 'Never been so scared' Fierce winds damaged the house of Therese Borel, who lives in the eastern town of Saint-Benoit, tearing off the roof. She and her husband took refuge at their son's house, who lives nearby. "When I arrived at my son's house, just behind, I sat down on the floor and started crying," said Borel. "I didn't have much to begin with, now I have nothing," she said. "I had never been so scared in my life," added her son Jimmy. The roof of Krishna Cadivel's house was also blown away. "I've lived here for 55 years, I've been through several cyclones," said the resident of the nearby town of Bras-Panon. "I've never seen anything like it." Some 120,000 people were still without electricity, while more than 950 were staying in temporary accommodation centres. More than 310,000 residents had no access to drinking water. In a gymnasium in Saint-Denis, where some locals found shelter, Marie-Pierrette Narsou said the cyclone had left her "a bit traumatised". "It was really bad," she added. Prefect Patrice Latron, the central government representative on the island, said "a lot of work" would be needed, with many roads blocked by fallen trees. "A few stores have been looted, mainly for provisions, but we cannot say it has been widespread," he added. Manuel Valls, France's overseas territories minister, was due to arrive in La Reunion in the coming days, his team said. Millions of euros in damage During the passage of the cyclone on Friday, French weather office Meteo-France recorded winds of up to 230 kilometres (143 miles) per hour in Piton Sainte-Rose on the island's eastern coast. Latron said Garance was fiercer than cyclone Belal, which killed four people on Reunion in January 2024 and caused an estimated €100 million ($104 million) in damage. The island's international airport reopened on Saturday. The nearby tourist island of Mauritius had shut its main airport on Wednesday, while Reunion had shut down to flights on Thursday. In Saint-Gilles-les-Bains on the island's west coast, a ravine burst its banks, sending muddy water pouring through the town centre. Local council workers started clearing the mud from the streets early on Saturday morning. "We're shovelling it away," said one. "Residents are helping us but there's far too much mud. We've had to bring in excavators." About 200 firefighters and military personnel were to be sent in over the weekend from Mayotte, a French territory nearly 1,500 kilometres away, and from mainland France, the government said. Floris Carpaye of farmers union FDSEA said the agricultural sector had been hit hard, especially market gardening. "It's a real catastrophe," Carpaye said. "It's going to cost tens of millions of euros."
Al Jazeera
01-03-2025
- Climate
- Al Jazeera
Four dead as Cyclone Garance wrecks France's La Reunion island
At least four people have been killed as Cyclone Garance struck the French overseas territory of La Reunion island, authorities said. The cyclone struck on Friday, making landfall in the north of the Indian Ocean island east of Madagascar, blowing away roofs and cutting power and access to drinking water for many residents. It exited the southwest of the island several hours later, French weather office Meteo-France said, adding that the worst of the storm had passed. A red alert, ordering the population to stay indoors, was lifted on Saturday morning after Garance was downgraded to a severe tropical storm. The body of a man was found trapped under a tree in the capital, Saint-Denis, authorities said on Saturday. The other victims, two women and a man, were carried away by flash floods, trapped in a mudslide or killed by an electrical fire, authorities said on Friday. Around 160,000 people were still without electricity, while more than 950 were staying in temporary accommodation centres on Saturday. More than 310,000 residents had no access to drinking water and nearly 140,000 were without internet access. Patrice Latron, the central government representative on the island, said 'a lot of work' would be needed, with many roads blocked by fallen trees. 'Roads are flooded, roads are cut off and some washed away,' he added. During the passage of the cyclone on Friday, Meteo-France recorded winds of up to 230km (143 miles) per hour in Piton Sainte-Rose on the island's eastern coast. 'The cyclone is still a threat for the island, I call on all to follow local authorities' instructions,' French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said on X on Friday. 'Our thoughts are with them and their loved ones who have been hit hard.' The nearby tourist island of Mauritius shut its main airport on Wednesday, while La Reunion shut down flights on Thursday. Its international airport was to reopen late on Saturday. 'First time I've been afraid' Residents said the force of the cyclone was frightening. 'This is the first time I've seen a cyclone this powerful, and also the first time I've been afraid,' Vincent Clain, 45, who lives in Sainte-Marie on the northern coast, told the AFP news agency. He said the storm uprooted trees in his garden. 'I thought they would crash onto the house,' he said. Clain, his wife, their son and dog hid in their kitchen, 'the safest area of the house'. Aline Etheve, a resident of Sainte-Suzanne on the coast, said she was worried the roof of her house would collapse after the storm destroyed her garden fence.
