Southern France orange flood vigilance November 5, 2026, Digi Mart USA News (Southern France): Strong rain and thunderstorms are hitting southern France as a new Mediterranean weather episode began on Wednesday. Authorities warn that the intensity of the precipitation could increase on Wednesday evening and on Thursday, November 5, 2026, particularly over Languedoc, the lower Rhône valley and eastern Corsica, areas already weakened by the episode of October 19 and 20.
Météo-France has triggered orange and yellow vigilance alerts for rain-flooding, thunderstorms and possibly flooding, because total rainfall across the episode could be significant. Departments placed under orange vigilance for Thursday, November 5, 2026, are Corse-du-Sud and Haute-Corse, both for rain-flooding.
Departments under yellow vigilance for Thursday include Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches-du-Rhône, Corse-du-Sud, Haute-Corse, Gard, Hérault and Var, with warnings covering rain-flooding, thunderstorms and, in some areas, flooding. For Thursday, the forecaster expects rainfall to strengthen around the Gulf of Lion, with easterly to southeasterly winds blowing fairly strongly.
Accumulations could reach 50 to 70 millimeters, and locally up to 150 mm in Hérault and Gard. On the eastern side of Corsica, precipitation is expected to persist throughout Thursday, with totals locally exceeding 200 millimeters that day and about 300 mm over the entire episode, according to Météo-France.
The agency warns that the rain could fall on soils already saturated by earlier intense episodes, potentially causing flooding.
Temperatures will be cold, with minimums of 8°C to 14°C around the Mediterranean and 0°C to 6°C in most other regions, including localized light frost in the east and southwest. Afternoon maximums will range from 10°C to 18°C from north to south, and reach 19°C to 20°C on the Côte d’Azur and in Corsica.
Snow is possible in the southern Alps above 1,700 meters.
