Expert on heavy rain in France "These are gigantic amounts"

In France, record-breaking rainfall fell in some regions. Hundreds of people had to be evacuated and one person died. Climatologist Erich Fischer assesses the situation for blue News.

Heavy rain, debris flows and flooding: the national weather service Météo-France has issued a red alert for six French departments in the center and south of France.

The departments affected are Rhône, Loire, Haute-Loire, Lozère, Ardèche and Alpes-Maritimes. Numerous other departments are already on orange, bringing the total to 34, including the capital Paris.

650 millimetres in 48 hours

One person has died so far. Several hundred people had to be evacuated to safety across the country, two thirds of them in the department of Ardèche. In the town of Annonay, the city center is under water and children had to be rescued from schools and daycare centers, reports "Le Monde". According to Météo-France, exceptional rainfall of 650 millimetres was measured there in 48 hours.

Météo-France has also issued flood warnings along several sections of the river. This applies to parts of the Lignon du Velay, the Haute-Allier region, the Loire-Vellave and the Gier. There is an acute risk of flooding on these river banks. The situation is expected to remain particularly tense in the south of the country.

"We are dealing with a situation that is unprecedented in its scale," said Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister for Ecological Transition.

"The extent was very surprising"

Erich Fischer from the Institute for Atmosphere and Climate at ETH Zurich told blue News that although the event developed quickly, it was not completely unexpected. But: "The extent was very surprising," says the climatologist.

The affected regions are known for heavy autumn precipitation, but the current extent clearly exceeded previous experience. Fischer: "These are gigantic amounts of precipitation."

Severe storms occur more frequently

According to Fischer, such storms are not considered "normal", but they do occur more frequently. He explains that similar events are not to be expected in one place every year, but can affect different countries such as France, Austria or Poland in turn.

The expert classifies severe weather primarily as a weather event, but emphasizes the increasing influence of climate change. "We used to have events like this, but not as severe," explains the climatologist. He attributes this to the warming of the oceans and the air, which can absorb and release more moisture.

Blocking high-pressure area exacerbates the situation

A special weather constellation with a slow-moving area of low pressure is exacerbating the situation. A blocking area of high pressure over Eastern Europe is preventing the low pressure area from moving on quickly. This was also the case in Austria and Poland. Whether such weather conditions will occur more frequently is still being researched, according to Fischer. What is clear, however, is that when they do occur, they become more intense.

Fischer warns that the event is not over yet. Very heavy rainfall is expected again in the next 48 hours, especially in southern Italy.