In brief
Storm Adam brought record‑breaking rainfall to southern France, flooding streets, breaking through cellar thresholds and lashed coastal towns, killing four people and injuring another. The Bouches‑du‑Rhône department saw two deaths – an 86‑year‑old and a 26‑year‑old – drowned in a cellar, while a fatal 4×4 crash on Corsica added a fifth grim tally. Towns such as Mouriès and Saint‑Martin‑de‑Crau opened emergency shelters and transport lines were severely disrupted, prompting officials to mobilise at an exceptional level. Meanwhile, authorities confirmed further severe weather, warning of Storm Austen’s arrival in the north‑west and extending wind alerts across five departments. French and Spanish governments have pledged aid and resources for affected residents, highlighting the cross‑border impact of the storm.
At least four people lost their lives when heavy rains from Storm Adam inundated southern France on Tuesday, with one further person hurt.
The storm’s deluge swept into the Bouches‑du‑Rhône region, submerging streets and forcing disruptions to road and rail services. Two residents – an 86‑year‑old woman and a 26‑year‑old woman – were found drowned in a cellar after the water rose to unprecedented levels, according to prefect Jacques Witkowski.
Corsica reported a tragic incident when a 4×4 vehicle was swept away by floodwaters; one driver escaped through a window but a second man was later declared dead. Official details about the fourth fatality remain sparse.
Between Montpellier and Marseille, towns such as Mouriès and Saint‑Martin‑de‑Crau opened emergency shelters to house hundreds of residents and recorded an additional minor injury within the area. Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot warned on X that infrastructural damage persisted across the region.
The France Meteorological Service has issued an orange‑level wind alert for five western departments ahead of Storm Austen, an incoming system from the Atlantic forecast to bring further severe weather to the north‑west.
In Spain, the same storm caused serious flooding on the Mediterranean coast, claiming at least three lives and prompting rescue operations by the Military Emergencies Unit. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a financial aid package aimed at accelerating reconstruction in the affected Valencian region.
