Europe1 .fr with AFP 4:53 p.m., June 23, 2022
Météo France on Thursday placed 37 departments on orange alert for storms and hail.
The organization warns in particular against heavy hailstorms, accumulations of intense precipitation and strong gusts of wind.
Since Monday, significant material damage has already been recorded in several departments.
While the episode of exceptional heat wave which hit France ended on Wednesday evening, part of the territory remained threatened by violent storms on Thursday, with 37 departments now placed in orange vigilance, according to Météo-France.
Six new departments were placed on orange "storm" vigilance on Thursday morning (including one already withdrawn, Lot), then seven new ones on Thursday afternoon, bringing the number of departments concerned to 37, mainly in the east of the country, from Alsace to the Ardennes, passing through part of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes to the Alps.
37 dpts in #vigilanceOrange
Stay informed on https://t.co/rJ24zzDXpCpic.twitter.com/See9w4i62m
— VigiMétéoFrance (@VigiMeteoFrance) June 23, 2022
This "strongly stormy" situation requires "particular vigilance given the risk of violent phenomena", warned Météo-France, which expects locally heavy hailstorms, accumulations of intense precipitation (punctually 30 to 50 mm less an hour) and strong gusts of wind (70 to 90 km/h).
Significant material damage in several departments of the center-east
Violent thunderstorms, sometimes accompanied by hail but of small size, have already affected the South-West on Thursday, with accumulations of rain observed from 40 to 60 mm in less than 40 minutes.
The storms will continue from the South-West to the Center-East, then will reach the Great East at the end of the afternoon, according to Météo-France.
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Since Monday already, violent storms accompanied by hail have caused significant material damage in several departments of the center-east, in particular in Saône-et-Loire, in Nièvre or in Allier, as well as in the South-West, where vineyards were affected.
This stormy episode comes after an exceptionally early heat wave that hit the whole country from the middle of last week, continuing in the East at the start of the week.
Orange "heat wave" vigilance was lifted for the last departments concerned on Wednesday at the end of the day.