France on red alert: Storm Pedro batters southwest following record 35 day rain streak

France is facing a severe hydrological crisis as Storm Pedro batters the southwest following a record-breaking year of rainfall. Meanwhile, 20 departments along the Atlantic coast are under orange alert for wind, waves and storm surge flooding.

According to France’s flood monitoring service, soil moisture reached its highest level since records began in 1959. Due to the severity of the situation, around 1,700 people have been evacuated in Lot-et-Gaoronne since February 10.

Tragically, several deaths have been linked to weather conditions. Meteo-France described Storm Pedro as a “non-exceptional winter storm" but forecasters took a conservative approach following the recent passage of two storms across the country. As a precaution, markets along the river were cancelled, schools and kindergartens in affected areas closed.

In Saintes, the Charente river level was expected to rise between 6.40 and 6.50 metres-roughly around 30 centimeters below the record set in 1982. Already more than 2,000 houses in the town have been affected by flooding.

Storm Pedro is expected to bring winds of up to 140 kilometres per hour to coastal areas, with up to 50 millimetres of rain in parts of the southwest.