France issues red alert for flooding due to heavy rains

Due to “exceptional rain,” which the French weather agency reported was as much as 630 mm (24.8 inches) in one area in 48 hours, six French departments were put on red alert for floods.

French departments are administrative divisions that resemble counties in the United States or Britain. 

The areas covered by the red alert include Lyon, the third-largest city in the country, as well as Cannes, famed for its film festival.

Authorities said they had closed roads, evacuated neighborhoods and asked residents to avoid placing themselves in danger by taking photos and videos.

There have been no reports of deaths or injuries and it is not yet clear what the level of damage is from the floodwaters.

The flooding in the southern part of France comes a week after remnants of Hurricane Kirk churned across western Europe and nearly a month after Cannes was hit by flash flooding.

Earlier in September, central Europe was battered by the worst floods in that area in at least two decades.