A total of 42 départements are on orange alert - the second highest alert - for violent storms which are predicted to hit this afternoon. French weather forecaster Météo France has issued the warning starting at 2pm on Monday for heavy rain, strong winds - up to 110km/h in some areas - and electrical storms. Map: Météo FranceThe weather forecaster stated: "In the afternoon on Monday, an active storm will enter Aquitaine and spread north east to gradually affect the Charentes, Poitou, western Limousin, central and southern Pays-de-la-Loire, and finally to Ile de France and the Hauts de France in the evening. At the same time in the southern part the storms will spread to the shores of the Mediterranean in the middle of the night. "This will continue in the evening and the following night towards the départments further east."

Source: The Local October 14, 2019 07:07 UTC