Orange alert today: the time when thunderstorms will stop in your area

Stormy weather is once again forecast as the Whitsun weekend begins. A total of seven departments are under orange alert, Météo France announced in its morning bulletin.

The storms will develop late Friday afternoon , and several successive bursts of rain and thunderstorms will affect the region until Friday night into Saturday, the agency explained in its bulletin published at 6 a.m.

Residents can expect hail , with hailstones "several centimeters in diameter" , intense rain "in a very short time" and some gusts of thunderstorms, "even some whirlwind phenomena", the meteorologists explained.

"This stormy weather is not strictly speaking widespread, so it is mainly the north of Isère that should be affected." The departments neighboring those on orange alert, some of which should be placed on yellow alert in the afternoon, are also "likely to be affected by the risk of violent phenomena," warns Météo France.

These storms will be accompanied by a temporary rise in temperatures, fueling atmospheric instability, the weather agency warns.

We will have to wait until Sunday, June 8th to see this risk of storms disappear over France, and this will last for several days.

With climate change, thunderstorms are becoming more intense, more localized, and more unpredictable. In a matter of minutes, clear skies can give way to downpours, gusts of wind, and lightning. In 2023, Météo France recorded more than 400,000 lightning strikes across the country, with impressive peaks in certain regions such as Occitanie and the Southwest.

Lightning is responsible for around 100 injuries and 10 deaths in France each year, according to the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance.

But beyond the direct impacts, a storm can cause:

• Prolonged power outages
• Fires caused by lightning strikes
• Road accidents due to reduced visibility or slippery roads
• Flash floods in urban or rural areas

In our slideshow, discover the departments concerned and the time at which the alert is lifted by Météo France.