The key facts

  • Orange alert declared in 15 departments, including Loire-Atlantique, Nord, Pas-de-Calais, Somme, Yvelines, Finistère and Val-d'Oise
  • Winds may reach 140 km/h, especially along the Atlantic coast
  • By the weekend, strong winds will spread inland, including Île-de-France with Paris

Orange alert ahead of Storm Aurore

France on Thursday declared an orange weather alert level in 15 departments of its western and northern regions due to the approach of Storm Aurore. The national weather service Meteo-France warned of a powerful storm that will hit the Atlantic coast especially hard: wind gusts may reach 140 km/h (87 mph).

Affected regions

The warning covers, in particular, the departments of Loire-Atlantique, Nord, Pas-de-Calais, Somme, Yvelines, Finistère and Val-d'Oise. According to Meteo-France, strong winds will spread inland over the weekend and affect the Île-de-France region, which includes Paris. The storm will also bring heavy rainfall, especially in Brittany and Normandy.