Winds for Eastern Pyrenees, Aude and Andorra, avalanches for Savoie and Alpes-Maritimes: Meteo France issue orange alert warnings to four departments.
The department of Pyrenees-Orientales and Aude as well as Andorra were placed in orange alert on Sunday with winds of expected gusts of 110 km/h to 160 km/h from 3am Monday, has announced Météo France.
The Savoie and Alpes-Maritimes for their part were placed in orange alert with the possibility of avalanches, with over the next twenty-four hours “avalanche activity” is expected which is “observed on average about once a year” , said the source.
“Wind gusts exceeding 160 km/h”
“The heavy snow, accompanied by a South East wind more or less strong during the last 36 hours (40 to 60 cm), the increased the risk of avalanche during the day on Sunday over the mountains of Haute-Maurienne and Mercantour ” says Meteo France.
For the North-westerly wind, from 3am on Monday, the north wind will blow between “110 and 130 km/h on a widespread, these values may be slightly exceeded in coastal areas (130 to 140 km/h) “ , according to Météo France, saying that ” Cape Bear (Pyrénées-Orientales), gusts may exceed 160 km/ h “ .
According to Meteo France, this type of event happens approximately ” two to three times year “ .