Violent storms, hail and powerful gusts of wind are set to hit large swathes of France on Tuesday (July 11) evening and into Wednesday.
Twenty-six departments in the eastern half of the country have been issued with tier-three weather warnings for storms, the second-highest level.
Many of them have been roasting in heatwave conditions in recent days.
Evening storm to sweep eastwards
In total, Météo France has put in place storm warnings for 50 departments across France.
These warnings stretch as far west as Toulouse and Limoges but are primarily concentrated in the east, in particular the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Grand Est regions.
In total, 26 departments are facing orange warnings for stormy weather.
Below is the map showing storm warnings for July 11.
Picture credit: Météo France
The main storm of the day will start on Tuesday afternoon, reaching its height in the evening before crossing over into Germany.
Alongside heavy rain, winds in the affected departments could reach up to 120 km/h.
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Despite the heat, hail storms are also possible, with hail “a few centimetres in diameter”, reports HuffPost.
Trains in the east of France, including several services from Lyon and St Etienne, have been cancelled this afternoon due to the weather.
A number of trains due to run between 14:30 and 19:00 in departments facing orange warnings have been suspended, and trains running later in the evening could also be affected.
If you have a ticker for a journey in an area affected by storms, you should use the SNCFConnect website or app to check if it is still running.
A second storm could also form in the Massif Central later in the evening, which will drift eastwards towards Germany during the night and into Wednesday.
Intense temperatures in the south and east
In terms of the heatwave, there were 31 departments on weather warnings for high temperatures, all situated in the east of the country (and Corsica).
Nine of these face orange warnings – the second highest tier possible – with temperatures along the Mediterranean reaching up to 39C, and up to 38C inland in the Grand-Est region.
Preliminary reports for Wednesday show the extreme temperatures will continue in the eastern half of the country. Nine departments have been issued with a tier-three orange weather warning.
You can find the most recent information on Météo France’s website here.
Extreme heat causes sickness in Toulouse
On Monday, firefighters in Toulouse had to make an emergency intervention on a train after a passenger began to suffer from a serious illness.
Due to the heat and crowded conditions on the train, five other passengers fell ill whilst the first person was being treated, also requiring medical assistance.
The other passengers were eventually evacuated from the carriages to an assembly point in the shade, to prevent further harm.
Public transport authorities recommend carrying a bottle of water with you when travelling on public transport, particularly if taking the train during rush hour.
