Marlène Duret, with AFP 8:50 p.m., November 14, 2022

Météo France placed the Gard on Monday in orange vigilance "rain-flood" and "thunderstorms" due to "locally very intense precipitation" expected until the middle of the night.

"The intense rainfall has already impacted the Montpellier region and storm cells are coming up from the Mediterranean," says the institute.

Two departments in the south of France, Hérault and Gard, were placed on Monday by Météo France in orange vigilance "rain-flood" and "thunderstorms" due to "locally very intense precipitation" forecast until the middle of the night, before this vigilance is lifted for the Hérault.

“The rainy-stormy Mediterranean episode got off to a good start as expected,” explains in its Météo France bulletin, which had previously placed the two departments under yellow vigilance.

The Gard is on orange alert until 10 p.m.

1 dpt in #vigilanceOrange



Stay informed on https://t.co/rJ24zzmUnCpic.twitter.com/XyYPshGMSe

— VigiMeteoFrance (@VigiMeteoFrance) November 14, 2022

The Montpellier region already impacted

"The intense rainfall has already impacted the Montpellier region and storm cells are coming up from the Mediterranean", underlines the meteorological institute, which in particular noted 124 mm of water that fell in three hours in Prades-le-Lez, north of Montpellier. , including 72 mm in one hour.

In the middle of the afternoon, the firefighters of Hérault had not reported any interventions related to bad weather.

The associated showers are heavy, up to 60 to 80 mm in one hour under the strongest thunderstorms.

A risk of having a stationary storm exists and the accumulations could occasionally reach 180 mm over the episode", indicates the institute.

"In addition to the electrical activity, these storms can sometimes be accompanied by strong gusts of wind as well as hail", underlines Météo-France, which predicts that "this agitated weather should calm down in the middle of the night from Monday to Tuesday".

In a press release, the Hérault prefecture called for "the greatest vigilance", "especially in terms of travel".

Traffic axes located in the lower part of the city of Montpellier have been closed as a security measure, as well as parks, gardens and cemeteries, according to a press release from the town hall.