On the 16th, 17th and 18th of August, for a few minutes, the sky was covered with large black clouds in Marseille, Saint-Etienne, Paris, Lyon or even in Ajaccio. Covered in water, the latter was then spilled in large quantities onto roads, sidewalks, subway corridors, homes and even hospitals.
In places, it fell within an hour, the equivalent of several months of rainfall. Wind gusts up to 200 km/h lifted trees and roofs of houses. Le Figaro presents a retrospective of the last 48 hours with pictures.
Parisians are surprised by the intensity of the storm
Tuesday, August 16 at 5:40 p.m. The first drops of cold water have come to refresh the capital, which has been suffocating for several weeks. In a few minutes, the downpour turned into torrential rain.
Then more than 40 millimeters of rain escaped from the sky in an hour, according to Météo France records at the Parc Montsouris station, that is, almost.70% of what usually falls within a month is all cumulative“.
Paris metro stations were literally flooded with water, surprising the passengers.
St. Etienne underwater and under ice
Wednesday, August 17 at 2:30 p.m. Violent claps of thunder, accompanied by powerful gusts of wind, shattered the tranquility of this summer afternoon in the Loire department. The municipalities of Saint-Etienne, La Tourette, Perignon, Abouen, Saint-Maurice-en-Gourgois and Villard were even rocked by hail.
Firefighters were called more than 170 times in one hour. Road and rail transport was severely disrupted, particularly between Lyon and St Etienne. The PRC did not escape the flood. Wind and hail rushed into the heart of the waiting room and children’s building.
A flood of murky water then flowed through the streets of St. Etienne.
Marcel, Cassie, Toulon with their feet in the water
Wednesday August 17, Marseille, early evening. For the second time of the day, the storm crosses the city of Marseille. fell in 24 hours” about 60 mm of water, which is the same amount that fell between February 15 and August 16“, according to Weather channel*.
The streets around the old port were quickly flooded, cars stopped, passers-by had to cross the roads with their feet in water. Firefighters intervened 84 times Provence.
The town of Cassis, 25 kilometers from Marseille, is also covered in heavy rains.
Over 70 millimeters of rain fell on the city one evening, giving some water sports ideas.
The departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, Hérault, Gard and Vaucluse were not spared from heavy rains.
In Toulon, the stairs have been transformed into a beautiful waterfall.
Deadly storm Corsica
Thursday, August 18: A tornado warning was announced as a matter of urgency from early in the morning. A mighty wind rises and violently shakes the sea and the trees of the Isle of Beauty. It is quickly followed by torrential rains that flood Ajaccio’s streets and airport.
About 60 assistance or rescue operations were carried out for stranded or overturned ships, the Maritime Prefecture of the Mediterranean Sea announced.
According to the latest report, at least five people died and 12 others were injured this Thursday at 16:00. 45,000 houses were cut off. “In the evening we announce a new intense episode, we will prepare for the worst“, the President of the Executive Council of Corsica announced after the announcement of the arrival of the Minister of Internal Affairs.
*Weather Channel is the property of Figaro Group
Source: Le Figaro
