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Trains cancelled and roads closed as flooding hits southern France

The Local France
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Trains cancelled and roads closed as flooding hits southern France
Gruissan, in Aude, is one of the tows affected by flash flooding. Photo: AFP

Southern France has been hit with torrential rain and heavy flooding that has lead to train cancellations and road closures and the evacuation of a camp site.

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The extreme weather that hit the southern Occitanie region on Tuesday night will move into Provence and the Côte d'Azur on Wednesday afternoon, said French weather forecaster Météo France.

 

Ten départements are now on orange alert - the second highest alert level - for heavy rain, high winds and localised flooding.

They are; Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches de Rhône, Var, Valcuse, Aude, Aveyron, Gard, Hérault, Pyrénées-Orientales and Tarn.

The storms have caused road closures, uprooted trees and ripped off roofs, according to the initial assessments by prefectures and fire brigades.

TER local train services between Toulouse, Montpellier and Perpignan has been suspended until 6pm.     

 

On Tuesday afternoon, 150 people were evacuated from the Le Pavillion campsite in Sigean (Aude) because of safety fears.

Rainfall  “exceeded 150 even 200mm between the eastern part of the Pyrénées-Orientales, the Aude and the southern part of the Hérault" in 24 hours, Météo France said, and “some 120 mm fell in less than 3 hours in the Béziers area.”

The agency expects the Hérault to see the worst of the line of storms on Wednesday morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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