Severe thunderstorms: which 9 departments are on orange alert?

Météo-France announced that nine departments in southwestern France were placed on orange alert starting Monday afternoon due to a "significant rain and thunderstorm episode."

Lot, Aveyron, Tarn-et-Garonne, Tarn, Gers, Haute-Garonne, Hautes-Pyrénées, Ariège and Aude will be gradually affected from 2 p.m., according to a Météo-France bulletin published Monday morning.

"The storms will be most violent in the afternoon and evening," warns Géraldine de Mori, head of RMC's weather and environment service.

Forecasters anticipate "thunderstorms accompanied by heavy rainfall, hail, gusts and significant electrical activity" in the afternoon and evening.

Meteorologists are warning of "strong gusts of wind that could reach 80 to 100 km/h" and "significant accumulations of precipitation, in the order of 30 to 50 mm over the episode with local maximums that could reach 60 or even 70 mm."

"An extension of the orange alert to Auvergne departments (Haute-Loire and Cantal in particular) is not completely excluded at this stage," adds Météo-France.