Extreme climate in southern France: one useless close to Marseille, one lacking in Corsica
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Cars swept away, neighbourhoods and houses flooded: a brand new bout of extreme climate has lashed south-eastern France, transferring from Occitanie in the direction of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. The heavy rain, which started on Monday, was easing in depth by round noon on Tuesday.
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On Tuesday 20 October, a 75-year-old was discovered useless in Istres, within the Bouches-du-Rhône division, after being swept away by floodwaters within the commune of Saint-Mitre-les-Remparts. A helicopter had been deployed in an try and find the lacking particular person.
In Haute-Corse, one particular person is lacking in Ghisonaccia, the prefecture introduced. Two individuals had been on board a 4×4 when it was carried away by the Fium’orbu river. One managed to flee via the window, however the different is being looked for by rescue groups.
North of Solenzara (Corse-du-Sud), virtually 400 millimetres of rain have been recorded for the reason that begin of the episode, “and 191 millimetres in a single hour” on the airport, Météo-France mentioned.
In Istres, round fifty kilometres west of Marseille, evacuations additionally came about. Residents affected by the flooding had been moved to a sports activities corridor, native authorities mentioned.
The heavy rainfall that started on Monday triggered main flooding from the Hérault division via to Bouches-du-Rhône and made it essential to carry dozens of individuals to security.
In Hérault, the city of Lunel was hit by intense rain and thunderstorms, in response to the hearth service. Around fifteen individuals had been taken in by the municipality in a reception centre. Images on social media present automobiles submerged as much as their home windows as rising water ranges crammed the streets.
In Nîmes, the place site visitors was extraordinarily tough on Tuesday morning and the A9 motorway was closed for a number of hours, the scenario was step by step returning to regular by noon and municipal services, shut since Monday afternoon, had been reopening. Train providers to and from the town had been nonetheless disrupted.
Some sections of motorways round Marseille had been partially flooded and slip roads had been closed. In the town, tram providers had been suspended on Tuesday morning.
This Mediterranean climate episode is linked to a chilly low-pressure system named Adam, which has introduced torrential rain and flooding to Spain, the place not less than 4 individuals have misplaced their lives.
