“Less stormy but more continuous rains move up from Auvergne towards Burgundy until mid-morning,” added the forecaster. In these regions, the rains have already brought 30 to 60 millimeters quite widely, and up to 60 to 90 millimeters locally. On the Mediterranean side, storms produced accumulations of around 40 to 80 millimeters, locally 100 to 140 millimeters with peaks of 180 millimeters in the east of the Var.
Torrential rains in the city center of Marseille
In Marseille, the heavy rainfall recorded on Wednesday afternoon forced the organizers of the Delta festival, where Justice, Julien Granel and Caravan Palace were to play, to cancel the first evening, « to guarantee the safety of all », announced its organizers. on Instagram. The festival will open its doors on Thursday at 4 p.m. and will last until Sunday, they nevertheless assured.
On the Côte d’Azur, a large lightning strike hit a stone cross on the dome of the basilica of Saint-Raphaël (Var), firefighters told Agence France-Presse. This cross fell on the public highway but without causing any injuries, they added.
The departments of Yonne, Nièvre, Saône-et-Loire, Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Loire, and Haute-Loire are under an orange alert for heavy rain and flooding risks. They are also under a yellow alert for thunderstorms. However, the orange alert has been lifted earlier than expected in the Bouches-du-Rhône, Gard, Vaucluse, Alpes-Maritimes, and Var.
Météo-France explained that « the most severe thunderstorms have shifted towards Italy, and the remaining rain no longer justifies an orange alert for the southeastern departments. »