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France Swings From Record Warmth to Wind Damage and Flood Alerts as Cold Snap Looms

Forecasters signal a rapid turn to winter next week, with widespread frost and mountain snow following a rain‑soaked weekend.

Overview

  • MétéoFrance placed the Rhône, Loire and Ardèche under orange rain‑flood vigilance for Saturday as a pluvio‑orageux band moves from the Massif Central toward the Rhône valley, the Alps and PACA.
  • In Occitanie, a violent southerly wind episode peaked with exceptional gusts near 200 km/h in Ariège, toppling trees and damaging infrastructure.
  • Authorities reported power outages, a vegetation fire tied to a torn high‑tension line near Ercé, and SNCF disruptions between Foix and Latour‑de‑Carol.
  • After an exceptional spell of mid‑November warmth, temperatures start to decline this weekend and are forecast to fall sharply early next week as polar air arrives.
  • Forecasts indicate widespread morning frosts and mountain snow, with a modest 20–40% probability of transient low‑altitude or plains flurries in parts of the north and center.