France is grappling with an unprecedented series of 36 rainy days, the longest such period since 1959. Successive storms, Nils and Pedro, have caused rivers to burst their banks, paralyzing transport in the southwestern part of the country. The highest alert level has been declared in four departments, and material damage could reach billions of euros. Although forecasts predict an improvement in the weather, services warn that water levels are still rising.

Record series of rainfall

France recorded 36 rainy days in a row, the longest such series since 1959, causing soil saturation.

Alerts in departments

Four departments, including Gironde and Maine-et-Loire, remain in the highest red zone alert due to flooding.

Transport paralysis

Gales and water have blocked train traffic between Bordeaux and Bayonne and flooded numerous local roads in Dordogne.

Threat in Spain

Floods are also affecting Galicia and the region of Castile and León, where the Douro river has exceeded alarm levels.

The hydrological situation in France has reached a critical point after a series of 36 consecutive days of rainfall. This is a phenomenon on a scale not seen since systematic measurements began in 1959. Particularly difficult conditions prevail in the Garonne river basin and in the department of Maine-et-Loire. The passage of a secondary low-pressure system named Pedro worsened the condition of the ground, which is already completely saturated with moisture. On Thursday morning, the Garonne river in Bordeaux reached a level of 5.04 meters, flooding the historic port quays. Local authorities activated the rarely used municipal safeguard plan, which has not been deployed on such a scale since the major floods of the late 1990s. Historical floods in France, such as the 1910 Paris flood or the 1999 floods after the passage of Hurricane Martin, serve as reference points for current warning systems. Modern flood defense infrastructure is based on flow modeling, which is becoming increasingly difficult in the face of extreme weather events resulting from climate change.The transport sector is experiencing massive disruptions. SNCF has halted train traffic on key routes towards Bayonne and between Toulouse and Narbonne. Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot warned that returns from winter holidays will involve enormous difficulties on roads and railways. The problem is not exclusive to France – a state of alert has also been declared in Spain's Galicia and in the Douro river basin, where river levels threaten eleven municipalities. Vigicrues indicates that although rainfall is slowly ceasing, the peak of flood waves in the lower reaches of rivers will only occur in the coming days. „"What is completely unprecedented is the intensity and duration of the rainfall. We haven't seen anything like this since the late 1950s."” — Esther Crauser-DelbourgExperts predict that clearing the aftermath of the disaster will take many months. Sébastien Lecornu, representing the French government, announced the full mobilization of uniformed services and the acceleration of compensation procedures. Although high pressure and more sunshine are forecast for Friday, the risk of inondations par ruissellement remains high due to the extremely high level of nappes phréatiques. 1959: 31, 2026: 364 — departments under red alertCourse of the Pedro weather crisis: February 18 — ; February 19, 07:20 — ; February 19, 14:00 — ; February 20 —

Mentioned People

  • Philippe Tabarot — French Minister of Transport warning of traffic disruptions.
  • Pierre Hurmic — Mayor of Bordeaux, informing about the stabilization of the situation in the city.
  • Sébastien Lecornu — French Minister of the Armed Forces promising aid for flood victims.