The storms follow one another. After Storm Kurt and Storm Leiv, it is the turn of the Storm Marcel depression sweeping the southwest of France, this Sunday 5th February. Eleven departments and Andorra are placed from 10am on orange alert for strong winds.
Meteo France placed this Sunday morning eleven departments orange alert “winds” from 10am: Ariege (09), Aude (11), Charente-Maritime (17), Haute-Garonne (31), Gers (32), Gironde (33), Landes (40), Lot-et-Garonne (47), Pyrénées-Atlantiques (64), Hautes-Pyrénées (65) and Pyrénées-Orientales (66). This episode, which is scheduled for late Monday morning at 10am, as regards the Principality of Andorra.
Gusts up to 150 km/h in the Southwest
Forecasts predict violent winds in the Southwest, with winds up to 140km/h on the Atlantic coast and high waves on the Charente and Aquitaine coastlines. In the Pyrenees, the gusts can climb up to 150km/h. Keraunos, the French Observatory of storms and tornadoes, showed the expected increase of Marcel storm in a tweet posted Saturday night:
Après #Leiv, #Marcel va toucher le sud-ouest et l’ouest #Languedoc demain avec 90/110 km/h. Violente tramontane en soirée (120/040 km/h). pic.twitter.com/u518k8hEg7
— Keraunos (@KeraunosObs) February 4, 2017
“Depression called Storm Marcel, the third in less than four days, arrived on the Atlantic coast, gusts of around 100 km/h are already observed this morning,” said Météo-France in its bulletin at 6am. “The wind will significantly strengthen. The departments placed in orange alert, the expected values are 130 to 140 km/h on the Atlantic coast, 100 punctually, 110 km/h in the interior of the Southwest under strong storms for the season, 120 km/h in the area of the Tramontana in the interior, 140 km/h on the coast. Values in the range of 140/150 km/h are possible altitude peaks of the Pyrenees ” , according to forecasters.
These also advertise quite substantial snowfall over the Pyrenees with a snow / rain limit to 800 m in the night from Sunday to Monday.
Still 60,000 homes without power
On the night of Friday to Saturday, storm Leiv, which was “exceptional”, had already hit hard the southwest with gusts up to 148 km/h causing damage and disruption. 60,000 homes are still without power in Charente on Sunday morning. According to the manager of the electricity grid Enedis (ex ERDF), the power should be restored everywhere by Sunday evening.
