South of France hit by heavy rainfall and flooding

Heavy rainfall in the south of France has led to large-scale flooding and the closing of roads and schools, with the Météo France weather service issuing the second-highest storm warning for three departments and Corsica.

Heavy rain is expected on the Mediterranean island on Monday evening and into Tuesday, Météo France warned in issuing the code orange alert. This could lead to a rapid rise in water levels in rivers and flooding, it said.

Residents in two districts in Narbonne on the coast were forced to spend Sunday night in emergency accommodation as a precautionary measure. The prefecture later allowed residents to return to their homes.

More than 40 roads remained closed, and schools in 109 locations will not open their doors on Tuesday.

Emergency services answered 72 calls. One person was severely injured in a weather-related accident.

Numerous roads around the city of Perpignan were closed to traffic, and long tailbacks built up.

The heavy rainfall did, however, alleviate a persistent water shortage in the region. The Pyrénées-Orientales department lifted water restrictions that had been in place for some time.

The authorities in Perpignan said that water levels in many rivers had returned to normal and that underground water reserves had been replenished.