Violent winds blow on Occitanie and Météo France places several departments in orange alert from Thursday, March 20. Alerts should last at least until Friday.
The temperatures warm up, but the wind blows in this middle of the week. Two departments are and will be particularly exposed to gusts according to the forecasts of Météo France. The winds of Autan “are maintained with gusts reaching 70 to 90 km/h in general and up to 90 to 100 km/h, even 110 km/h, on the Lauragais and the south of the Tarn”, reports theMeteorological agency in its bulletin Wednesday, March 19. The already strong gusts must intensify on Thursday March 20, the date on which the Haute-Garonne and Tarn departments will be placed on orange alert for strong winds.
The orange alert will not be activated until the end of the day, around 9 p.m. according to Météo France forecasts. It is indeed in the early evening and on Friday that the weather event should be the strongest: “an extension and a strengthening of gusts of wind are expected on Thursday evening for a peak of intensity scheduled for Friday”. The advance with which Météo France announced the vigilances is explained by the gusts already observed in the territory. The agency indicates that it is the “second episode of sustainable autan” and that it is “notable enough to require particular vigilance”. The previous episode took place between March 6 and 9.
The winds, on average between 70 and 90 km/h, will “reach 100 to 110 km/h very locally, and 120 km/h at the foot of the Black Mountain, on the Lauragais and the Castrais country” in the evening from Thursday to Friday. Météo France does not yet advance specific data for Friday. The wind will also blow near the Toulouse agglomeration where “we expect gusts up to 100 km/h”.
Wind and degradation on Friday
If the episode of Autan Wind will be at the height on Friday, it will ring the end of the spring weather with the arrival of a rain-led-stubborn disturbance. “Autan should last until Friday where it could still be strengthened, with the arrival of a rain-length disturbance from the West. This disturbance should concern the whole country by gradually sliding east over the day,” anticipates Météo France. According to the meteorologist Guillaume Séchetthe showers could last on Saturday day and they could “turn to a punctual thunderstorm with a risk concerning a large part of the territory” French. “These thunderstorms should remain low to moderate,” said the specialist. Instability is also likely to be on Sunday on Sunday, despite decline in stormy risk.