A Mediterranean episode is approaching: heavy rain, gusts of wind, snow… what to expect this weekend ?

Le Languedoc sera sous la pluie ce week-end. ILLUSTRATION UNSPLASH

Le temps est de nouveau agité à partir de ce vendredi 8 mars et une forte perturbation est attendue ce week-end, en particulier dans le quart sud-est du pays. Les phénomènes attendus pourraient impacter le réseau routier en ce dernier week-end de vacances de la zone B. 

Gray and rain are back in Occitanie and weather conditions will deteriorate in the south of France from this Friday, March 8, according to the latest Météo-France bulletin. A new Mediterranean episode is expected to begin overnight, causing heavy rain and gusty winds in Languedoc-Roussilon until the end of the weekend. 

Up to 120 mm of rain in the Cévènnes

Heavy rains are expected, especially on the Cévennes relief, from the heights of Hérault to the south of Ardèche, where they persist all day. Snow then replaces the rain above about 1200 m. 

🌧️Le temps sera agité sur le quart sud-est du pays, avec de fortes pluies et du vent dès demain et surtout samedi.

⬇️Vendredi, pluies abondantes sur le flanc sud du Massif Central et en PACA particulièrement dans le Var et Alpes-Maritimes.

Point complet👉https://t.co/g0o4RLtkuZ pic.twitter.com/1Qp541gYLv

— Météo-France (@meteofrance) March 7, 2024

The cumulative rainfall for this new episode is of the order of 50 to 70 mm between Aveyron, Loire and Provence. 70 to 80 mm could fall in 24 hours on the mountain range, with peaks of 100 to 120 mm on the Cévènes, according to Météo-France forecasts.

The meteorological institute also warns of the risk of rivers overflowing, especially since, an aggravating factor, the soils are now sometimes saturated. Charente-Maritime is placed on orange alert for the risk of flooding. 

🔶 1 département en Orange (https://t.co/CSYEovTI83) pic.twitter.com/bwzeXnnZb5

— VigiMétéoFrance (@VigiMeteoFrance) March 8, 2024

Winds gust to 100 km/h

The wind will blow strongly in the southern half, particularly in Occitanie, on the relief of Auvergne, the Rhône valley and on the edge of the Mediterranean, with a stormy episode on the Pyrenean high relief the following night and strong gusts which can reach 100 km/h. 

Most of the Occitanie region is on yellow alert for wind, thunderstorms, rain-flooding or snow and ice. 

The depression is expected to move towards the Atlantic coast from Sunday March 10.