Southern France is counting the cost of a fresh Mediterranean weather episode that has left one person dead near Marseille and another missing on Corsica, as emergency services continue to search for a man carried away by a swollen river.
The body of a 75-year-old was recovered on Tuesday in Istres, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, after he was swept away by floodwaters in the commune of Saint-Mitre-les-Remparts. A helicopter had been deployed to locate him. Around fifty kilometres west of Marseille, authorities also evacuated residents from flooded neighbourhoods, moving them to a sports hall.
Corsica search continues after 4x4 swept away
In Haute-Corse, the prefecture announced that one person remains missing in Ghisonaccia. Two people were travelling in a 4x4 when it was carried off by the Fium'orbu river. One managed to escape through a window; rescue teams are still searching for the other.
Météo-France reported that almost 400 millimetres of rain had fallen north of Solenzara, in Corse-du-Sud, since the episode began, including 191 millimetres in a single hour at the airport — a figure that underscores the extraordinary intensity of the downpour.
The heavy rain, which started on Monday, triggered major flooding from the Hérault department through to Bouches-du-Rhône, forcing dozens of people to be moved to safety. In Hérault, the town of Lunel was hit by intense rain and thunderstorms, according to the fire service. Around fifteen people were taken in by the municipality at a reception centre. Social media images showed cars submerged up to their windows as water filled the streets.
In Nîmes, traffic was extremely difficult on Tuesday morning and the A9 motorway was closed for several hours. By midday the situation was gradually returning to normal, with municipal facilities that had been shut since Monday afternoon reopening. Train services to and from the city remained disrupted.
Around Marseille, some motorway sections were partially flooded and slip roads were closed. Tram services in the city were suspended on Tuesday morning.
The episode is linked to a cold low-pressure system named Adam, which has brought torrential rain and flooding to Spain before pushing north-eastwards into France. It is the latest in a series of extreme weather events to hit the continent, a pattern that scientists increasingly link to a warming climate. As El Niño and climate change compound Europe's extreme weather, Mediterranean regions face more frequent and more violent rainfall episodes.
French authorities have urged residents in affected areas to remain vigilant, avoid driving on flooded roads and follow instructions from local officials. The clean-up is expected to continue in the coming days as water levels recede.
