gusts over 100 km/h! Which departments are on orange alert?

The violent winds of storm Gérard are sliding towards the northeast of the country but are still blowing over around fifteen departments placed on orange wind vigilance by Météo France. The gusts disrupt transport and electrical networks.

[Mis à jour le 16 janvier à 10h27] Storm Gérard is gradually leaving the west of the country. But the gusts of wind are still blowing over the Ile-de-France basin and its surroundings. This slip of the winds pushes Meteo France to update its forecasts and alerts this Monday, January 16. Around 10 a.m., the meteorological organization revised the number of territories on orange wind vigilance downwards, there are only 17 departments left to have to be extra careful, including 14 for gusts which blow at 100 km / h on average and sometimes up to 160 km/h.

The winds from storm Gérard should gradually shift northeast over the course of the day according to meteorologists, but Météo France only extends orange vigilance until 4 p.m. on Monday according to the morning bulletin. The winds should also decrease in intensity from the beginning of the afternoon. A handful of departments have already left the perimeter of the storm, particularly in Brittany, in the Pays de la Loire and the east of the Center-Val-de-Loire region.

Which departments are on orange wind vigilance?

Météo France lists 14 departments in orange vigilance for wind on the passage of the storm Gérard: Seine-Maritime, Eure, Eure-et-Loir, Loiret, Yonne, Aube, Marne as well as all the departments of Ile-de-France except Val d’Oise.

Two other departments are also placed in vigilance orange snow ice by Météo France in the Central Massif, namely Cantal and Lozère. In these territories vigilance is planned until 5 p.m.

According to The Weather Channel, we must add to this list three departments in rain vigilance with the Landes, the Pyrénées-Atlantiques and the Hautes-Pyrénées. Note that significant rainfall disturbance affects most of the country and often accompanies the gusts of wind from storm Gérard.

Transport disrupted due to storm Gérard

The winds that blow at 100 km/h and sometimes more than 150 km/h in France are not without consequences for the country. If motorists are urged to be careful on the roads and to reduce their speed, public transport is also affected by storm Gérard. In Ile-de-France, transport is not spared. The RER D is already experiencing difficulties because of “an obstacle (tree) on the track in the Villabé sector” which prevents traffic from Melun to Corbeil-Essonnes for up to 8 hours according to SNCF estimates. The RER E and line T4 are also slowed down because of other obstacles on the tracks. Traffic conditions are also complicated and the passage of trains is sometimes interrupted on lines R, P, L and J.

It is not only in Ile-de-France that transport is affected. The SNCF warned that “this exceptional weather event requires the adaptation of transport plans in Normandy” to “guarantee the safety of travelers and staff”. As a result, seven lines risk being severely disrupted: Cherbourg – Caen – Evreux; Le Havre-Rouen; Caen-Rouen; Caen-Le Mans; Caen-Rennes; Granville – Dreux and finally Fécamp – Le Havre – Rolleville.

75,000 homes under the gusts and without electricity

The gusts of wind from storm Gérard plunged thousands of homes into darkness on Monday morning. According to the electricity network operator Enedis, 75,000 homes are without electricity this morning because of the storm. It was in Normandy, Brittany and the Pays de la Loire that the untimely cuts were reported in the morning. Enedis ensures that interventions are underway to restore power as soon as possible.

The violent winds which regularly blew at more than 120 km/h and more in the west of the country brought down electrical cables. The manager reminds that you should not act yourself and contact professionals. On Twitter, Enedis also lists the safety instructions to follow in the event of an incident on the electrical network.