SEE: Metre of snow in Pyrénées and floods hit south-east France

Severe weather struck several parts of France at the weekend causing dramatic scenes, particularly in the south-east.

Heavy rain caused flooding in a number of towns and coastal gales brought down trees. Snow covered the lowest altitudes of the Alps and more than a metre fell in the Pyrénées.

A roadside assistance worker was killed near La Turbie, close to the French border with Monaco, after consecutive accidents on the A8.

The man was responding to an initial accident between two cars, caused by the rainfall, and was subsequently hit by a third vehicle driving too quickly in the heavy rain.

Four other people were injured, two severely, including another roadside assistance worker and two gendarmes.

Vinci, the motorway operator, has filed a complaint for manslaughter.

A dozen or so visitors were forced to remain in place for an extra day at the Isola2000 ski resort in the Alps behind Nice after more than 50cm of snow fell on Saturday, closing off the access road.

It meant arriving tourists were also unable to reach their accommodation.

Four departments still face tier-three orange weather alerts – Savoie, Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-Maritimes (avalanches) and Charente-Maritime (river flooding).

Read more: What action is advised with different Météo France weather warnings

Weeks of rain falls in south-east

Nice and the Alpes-Maritimes department were particularly hit by the heavy rain and stormy weather.

Trees along the Promenade des Anglais were blown down by the gales, and many areas saw between 60mm and 80mm of rain fall.

In some towns this was even higher with 114mm recorded in Vence.

In Antibes underground parking lots were flooded, and a number of trees were blown over inside the town, blocking roads for hours.

Grasse saw heavy rain flooding hit its streets.

Rivers also rose above normal levels despite river flood alerts not being raised, worrying nearby residents.

However, there was also snow at the foothills of the Alps, with one driver taking footage of the changes throughout the day.

Snow delights in Pyrénées

Tourists in the Pyrénées were greeted by falling snow throughout the weekend, and in some places more than a metre fell cumulatively.

In lower altitudes of around 1,000 metres, around 25cm - 30cm of snow fell overnight Saturday to Sunday, leading to beautiful sweeping landscapes for those profiting from the final week of the winter holiday period.

In the Cévennes and Massif Central, snowfall also hit many mountainous valleys.

The period of intense rainfall is now finished with meteorologists predicting a dry week ahead, although next weekend may see a repeat of the rainfall.

Read more: What to do (and not do) during heavy rain and flood alerts in France

Some rain is forecast in the west of France at the beginning of the week, and slightly chilly temperatures in the north but otherwise average temperatures are expected.

You can keep up to date with all weather alerts on the Météo France website. Note that the level of warnings frequently changes, particularly during periods of intense weather.

Related articles

4 tips to stay safe and check icy roads in real-time in France