Storm Inès: Wind and flood alert for northwest France
Six departments are on orange alert today (Thursday February 13) as Storm Inès brings gusts of up to 116kph, potentially causing damage and transport disruption.
As of this morning, the departments of Calvados, Manche, Seine-Maritime, Eure, Pas-de-Calais and the Somme are on orange alert (the second-most severe level).
Four of the six departments are at risk of very high, strong waves on the coastline (Manche, Pas-de-Calais, Seine-Maritime and the Somme). Two are at risk of intense winds (also Manche, and Calvados), and two are at risk of flooding (Eure and Seine-Maritime).
Winds of up to 116kph have already been recorded, with more expected. Météo France warned of the potential for more damage.
Météo France said: “[We expect] gusts of wind of 80 to 90kph away from the coasts in the departments on orange alert, and up to 115kph on exposed headlands (116kph in Barneville, 115kph in Cherbourg, and 106kph at Port-en-Bassin. Serious damage may be caused.”
It added: “Driving conditions could be difficult in the local area, and there may be some disruption for air, rail, and sea transport.”
High wind coupled with the high seas could “risk causing flooding on exposed and vulnerable parts of the coastline in the Seine-Maritime”, the forecaster added.
Inès, named by forecaster Météo France, has arrived just days after Storm Ciara hit, and will itself hit landfall just days before the next named storm - Storm Dennis (named by the UK Met Office) - is set to arrive from across the Atlantic.
