French and Riviera News Friday 20th October 2023

News

Red alert for the Alpes Maritimes - Météo France has placed the Alpes-Maritimes on a red weather alert this Friday morning, with heavy rain and possible flooding. Eleven other departments in the South-East are on an orange alert. Several roads have been closed due to rockfall or as a precaution. In the early hours of this morning three landslides have been reported in La Turbie and in Breil-sur-Roya. Due to a risk of flooding, the roads: RD 52 (Menton), 327 (Menton), RM 6007 (Èze) are closed for an indefinite period. Previously cut due to a rock fall, the RD 6204 (Saorge) has been reopened in both directions of traffic since 20/10/2023 at 5:37am At 5.30am this morning it was reported that there was no electricity in parts of Saint-Martin-Vésubie. Three years after storm Alex, of which the devastation is still apparent in areas of the hinterland, the Alpes-Maritimes was placed on alert from 4am to 10am this morning. A second orange alert for strong winds and high waves along its coastal areas is also in place until 9pm this evening.

Due to the bad weather, all educational establishments in the department, including universities, are closed for the day and the principality of Monaco has taken similar measures for its schools and nurseries. Around fifty residents of the valleys affected in October 2020, were evacuated on Thursday evening, as well as all the students of a boarding school in Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée. Several roads still under construction since storm Alex have also been closed, as a precaution.