Southern France is home to some of the country’s most popular regions for visitors, but heavy rain and hailstorms have led to flooding over the last couple of days, causing fatalities and damage to transport services and infrastructure.
The weather conditions seem to have eased, but it’s obviously worrying news if you have a trip booked to the region soon, so here is everything we know about whether it’s safe to travel.
Which parts of southern France have been affected by floods?
The Var region of south-eastern France has been the worst affected, with Météo-France, the country’s national weather agency, placing the region under orange alert for rain, flooding and thunderstorms.
Two of the worst-affected areas were Le Lavandou and the commune of Bormes-les-Mimosas, with 500 emergency calls from the region being made between Monday and Tuesday. Several hundred rescuers were sent from nearby cities such as Cannes.
The BBC also reports that south-west France was hit by Monday night’s storms and hail, with the Bordeaux-Toulouse railway line suffering cancellations that will last for the next few days.
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What has been the damage?
So far, three people have died as a result of the floods. An elderly couple were swept away in their car by floodwaters in Le Lavandou, according to France 24, and another person reportedly drowned in their vehicle in the commune of Vidauban.
At least two regional trains stopped their services overnight because of damage to the tracks, and 600 homes were without electricity.
‘The roads, the bridges, the paving stones, there is no more electricity, water, or wastewater treatment plants. The shock is significant because the phenomenon is truly violent and incomprehensible,’ said Gil Bernardi, mayor of Le Lavandou, in a press conference, according to Sky News, ‘As we speak, an entire part of the commune is inaccessible.’
Is the flooding expected to continue?
Weather warnings for Var have now been decreased to the lowest levels, so if you are planning to travel, the best course of action is to keep a close eye on local weather forecasts.
Has a travel warning been issued?
The Foreign Office is yet to update its France travel advice page in light of the floods, but the safety and security section reads: ‘There is a risk of flooding in areas of France. If your accommodation is near a river, check flash flood watch (‘vigicrues’) (in French) for more information on current flood risks.’
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