Thunderstorms, hail and gusts of wind: Southwest France under high alert tonight

This morning, the Southwest still had the feel of a tranquil spring, with bright, mild weather and temperatures around 12 to 18°C. But the situation is set to change quickly. A low-pressure system is moving up from the Bay of Biscay towards the center of the country, and by the end of the day, the atmosphere promises to become tense, with thunderstorms forecast, some of them severe, and a local risk of hail.

From midday onwards, between noon and 16 p.m., the first storm cells are expected to appear over the Pyrenees before moving towards central Aquitaine and western Midi-Pyrénées. The scenario is classic, almost textbook for those familiar with late afternoon weather events: relative calm, increasing instability, then a sharp acceleration in the late afternoon, with a more active episode expected until early evening.

The expected peak between Midi-Pyrénées and Cévennes

The peak of the storm is expected between Midi-Pyrénées and the Cévennes. The situation is expected to be most turbulent between late afternoon and 21 p.m., along a wide axis stretching from Midi-Pyrénées to the Cévennes. The forecast includes intense rainfall over a short period, gusts of wind reaching up to 90 km/h, and, in some areas, hail. These factors alone, whether on the road or in town, are enough to turn a simple outing into a real ordeal.

After 21 p.m., the storms are expected to weaken while continuing their progression towards southern Auvergne and the Rhône-Alpes region. Forecasters also warn of a risk of urban runoff in Aquitaine and Midi-Pyrénées, with brief but intense downpours saturating gutters in minutes. Météo-France manages this type of event with "storm" warnings and, depending on the area, "rain-flood" warnings, instructions that may be relayed locally by the prefectures, while the evening is expected to be considerably less peaceful than the morning.