Weather warnings for western France as violent winds hit coast
Winds of 110-120km/h will affect Brittany, the Atlantic coastline and Corsica from this afternoon until tomorrow
High winds are set to hit western France and Corsica this afternoon (November 21)
Oskari Porkka / Shutterstock
[Update November 21 at 13:25 - Pyrénées-Atlantiques has now been placed under an orange weather alert for heavy rain and the risk of flash floods]
The whole of western France and Corsica has been placed under a yellow weather alert for high winds today (November 21), as gusts of more than 100km/h are expected to hit the coastline.
The wind is set to gain in intensity from around midday, lasting into tomorrow (November 22).
The departments under a weather warning are: Manche, Finistère, Côtes d’Armor, Morbihan, Ille-et-Vilaine, Mayenne, Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, Vendée, Deux-Sèvres, Charente-Maritime, Gironde, Landes, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Gers, Hautes-Pyrénées, Haute-Garonne, Ariège, Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud.
Over the course of this afternoon, wind gusts could reach 110-120km/h in the north west, meteorologist Yann Amice told Actu.fr.
“Between Monday and Tuesday, the winds will spread also across the south west and Corsica, where, on the western coastline, gusts of more than 130km/h are possible,” he added.
Residents in these areas should expect rain in addition to the wind.
People in Côtes d’Armor, Ille-et-Vilaine, Manche, Finistère, Morbihan, Loire-Atlantique, Vendée, Charente-Maritime, Gironde, Landes, Pyrénées-Atlantiques have also been placed under a yellow alert for dangerously strong waves.
This weather system is being caused by a pair of depressions to the south of Brittany and near Corsica, the first of which will cause significant rainfall in Pyrénées-Atlantiques and the surrounding areas, where up to 100mm is expected to come down over 24 hours.
A yellow weather warning does not require people to take any precautionary measures in particular, but encourages vigilance among local residents.
You can find out more about the evolving situation on the Météo France website.
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