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HEAVY RAIN WILL SWEEP ACROSS MANY SOUTHERN DEPARTMENTS BUT TEMPERATURES WILL BE LARGELY UNAFFECTED The south of France will face another bout of severe storms this week, as a new _épisode

cévenol _is set to sweep through. Rainfall will start this evening (March 25) in the Cévennes area, continuing to fall heavily until Wednesday (March 27). More than 100mm is expected,

increasing to 150mm in some valleys. The powerful storms will grow larger and will be blown eastwards by strong winds, eventually hitting the south-east around Nice on Wednesday – although

rainfall is predicted to begin on Tuesday evening in the area. The rain will be accompanied by gales of up to 100 km/h, and in areas of the Massif Central 1,200m above sea level, intense

snowfall. The storms will die down by Thursday, however there may still be some areas facing rainfall until the weekend. The last ‘épisode’ occurred earlier this month, when flash flooding

caused by storms killed seven people in the south of France, many of whom were driving or in a vehicle at the time. READ MORE: STORM DEATH TOLL RISES IN FRANCE AS HUNTERS FIND BODY OF MAN IN

SOUTH ANOTHER ROUND OF FIERCE STORMS It is already the fifth bout of _EPISODE CÉVÉNOL_, or _épisode méditerranéen _storms this year. This phenomenon, which usually only occurs around four

times a year, sees brief but intense rainfall in the Massif Central mountain range, or in the south-east of France along the coast and in the Alpine foothills. In colder months, the rain

usually mixes with snow at higher altitudes, and heavy gales, particularly along the coast can cause damage. The storms this week will mainly impact the Cévennes area, although much of the

south will see an increase in usual rain levels. > 💦Un nouvel épisode de pluies abondantes, le 5ème depuis début > février, concernera le sud-est de la France mardi. Un > 

#épisodecévenol est attendu avec de nouveaux risques de crues et > d'inondations. Il pleuvra aussi beaucoup sur le bassin aquitain. > pic.twitter.com/AjRyaO4Z5C > — La Chaîne 

Météo (@lachainemeteo) March 24, 2024 In the Pyrénées, up to a metre of snow will fall at the highest altitudes by the end of the week, with even more on the Spanish side. In the Alps, heavy

snowfall at altitudes of 1,500 metres and higher is expected. > Dans un flux de sud à sud ouest plusieurs salves de précipitations > sont à attendre à partir de mardi. Cumuls de neige

 importants > probables en fond de chaîne et versants espagnols surtout > aragonais. > Le mètre est probable d’ici vendredi sur les hauteurs de > Gavarnie❄️ 

pic.twitter.com/2xOFF5HyCz > — Météo Pyrénées (@Meteo_Pyrenees) March 24, 2024 Elsewhere, weather in the north and north-west is set to follow usual March trends, albeit with strong

coastal winds towards the end of the week, particularly in Normandy and Brittany. Temperatures across the week will be normal, with little derivations from seasonal averages despite the

storms. Official weather forecasters Météo France have already placed one department (Hérault) on a heightened weather warning for Tuesday (March 26). This is for coastal waves, caused by

strong gales. It is likely, however, that more departments will see alert levels increase, particularly for rains, stormy weather, and increased river levels. READ MORE: WHAT ACTION IS

ADVISED WITH DIFFERENT MÉTÉO FRANCE WEATHER WARNINGS You can keep up to date with all the official weather warnings through the _Météo France_ WEBSITE. RELATED ARTICLES WHAT TO DO (AND NOT

DO) DURING HEAVY RAIN AND FLOOD ALERTS IN FRANCE FRANCE’S STATE WEATHER FORECASTERS ON STRIKE OVER AUTOMATION ERRORS