French departments on high alert as more bad weather sweeps in

Eight departments in northern and western France remained under flood alert Wednesday as rain and high winds batter the region six weeks after unprecedented floodwaters devastated low-lying communities.

A man walking in a flooded street in Arques, northern France, on 3 January, 2024. AFP - DENIS CHARLET

Pas-de-Calais, where dozens of residents have been evacuated as water levels rise to dangerous levels on the back of two weeks of rain, was placed on the highest possible alert – red.

Local prefects said the department, which was hit by storm Ciaran in November, had recorded nearly 100 millimetres of rain over the last six days.

“Showers will gradually become heavier and more frequent during the day,” Météo-France warned.

Floods watchdog Vigicrues said their attention was focused on the Aa river, which had swollen to dangerous levels late Tuesday.

🔴 1 département en Rouge
🔶 7 départements en Orange (https://t.co/CSYEovTI83) pic.twitter.com/13cnSpJbnG

— VigiMétéoFrance (@VigiMeteoFrance) January 3, 2024

Seven other departments were placed on Météo France’s second-highest orange weather warning as rain – the remnants of Britain's storm Henk – continued to saturate the region.

“The disturbance associated with the Henk low-pressure system is now stretching from the south-west to the north-east of the country," Météo-France said.

"A system of showers has set in over a large northern half of the country.”

Meanwhile ferries crossing the English Channel were cancelled amid flooding along the Atlantic coast.

While flooding, storms and drought are natural weather phenomena, they are being amplified by human-driven climate change factors.

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