Météo-France issues red flood alert for Gard and Hérault
Météo-France placed Gard and Hérault on red rain-flood alert from Wednesday, warning of up to 350mm of rain in the Cévennes.
Météo-France placed the French départements of Gard and Hérault on red "rain-flood" alert from 8am on Wednesday, warning of an "exceptional" Mediterranean weather system that could bring up to 350mm of rain to parts of the Cévennes mountains, according to BFMTV, Le Progrès and La Dépêche du Midi.
The Gard prefecture closed schools for the day, and Nîmes closed all municipal facilities and childcare centres, Libération and Le Progrès reported. Public transport was suspended across the region; in Montpellier, tram lines 4 and 5 and line 1 resumed with an adapted service by midday, but lines 2 and 3 and the entire bus network remained suspended, along with the city's bike-share scheme, Le Progrès reported.
The rain began late on Tuesday and intensified overnight as humid Mediterranean air became trapped over the Cévennes, in what forecasters called the first "cévenol" episode of the season, La Dépêche du Midi reported. Rainfall could reach 50 to 80mm in a single hour, with a total of 200 to 250mm expected over the whole episode, and up to 350mm locally in the Gard Cévennes over six hours, Météo-France said.
Rivers began rising as the rain intensified. The Hérault river rose 2.2 metres in two hours near the town of Laroque, BFMTV reported, while nearly two months' worth of rain, 140 litres per square metre, fell within hours at Moulès-et-Baucels in Hérault. Flood-monitoring service Vigicrues placed four rivers, the upper Hérault, the Gardon d'Alès, the Gardon d'Anduze and the upper Cèze, on orange alert from Tuesday evening, and said flooding could continue until at least Thursday.
A tornado was seen near Aigues-Mortes in Gard around midday on Wednesday beneath a severe grey storm, Le Progrès reported. Véronique Martin Saint-Léon, the sub-prefect of Hérault, said flooding had already begun in parts of central Montpellier.
Météo-France said the Bouches-du-Rhône département would move to orange alert from midday, joining Ardèche and Lozère, which were already on orange alert. Forecasters said the storm system would shift towards the Var département by evening or overnight, and towards Provence, between Avignon and Marseille, by Thursday.
What we know
- Météo-France placed Gard and Hérault on red "rain-flood" alert from 8am Wednesday, warning of an "exceptional" Mediterranean weather system.
- Up to 350mm of rain was forecast locally in the Cévennes over six hours; total episode rainfall of 200-250mm was expected more widely.
- Schools were closed in Gard and municipal facilities closed in Nîmes; public transport was suspended across much of the region.
- The Hérault river rose 2.2 metres in two hours near Laroque; four rivers were placed on flood alert by Vigicrues.
- Bouches-du-Rhône was due to move to orange alert from midday, joining Ardèche and Lozère.
Not yet confirmed
- The exact scale of any flood damage has not yet been reported.
Why it matters for Europe
Météo-France's last comparable "cévenol" episode, at the end of December 2025, brought more than 300mm of rain to the Cévennes and 140mm to Montpellier, a scale forecasters said Wednesday's system could match or exceed in places. The Hérault, Vidourle and Gardon rivers are among those authorities are watching most closely for flooding, La Dépêche du Midi reported.
Sources
Reported by 2 reports from 2 independent outlets in 1 countries.
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Questions and answers
- Why were Gard and Hérault placed on red alert?
- Météo-France warned of an "exceptional" Mediterranean rain system that could bring up to 350mm of rain to parts of the Cévennes, with a risk of flash flooding.
- What measures did authorities take?
- Gard closed schools, Nîmes shut municipal facilities, and public transport was suspended across much of the region, including most of Montpellier's tram and bus network.
- Which rivers are most at risk?
- The Hérault, Vidourle and Gardon rivers are among those French authorities are watching most closely, after Vigicrues placed four rivers on flood alert.
This article was written with AI assistance from 2 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.