Storm Nils Batters Southern France with Violent Winds and Flooding

Storm Nils has severely impacted southern France, especially in the Gironde region, with wind gusts reaching up to 160 km/h, notably 157 km/h at Cap Ferret. Bordeaux experienced gusts over 121 km/h, leading to park closures and shelter arrangements for vulnerable populations such as the homeless. As of Thursday morning, around 128,000 households in Gironde remain without electricity. Emergency responders have conducted 168 interventions, primarily clearing fallen trees across multiple areas like Médoc and Libournais. Furthermore, the Landes department reported one fatality due to the storm.

A red alert for flooding was issued in La Réole along the Garonne River, which has risen to seven meters, triggering preventive evacuations and public warnings.

Météo-France placed five departments under red alert — Savoie, Aude, Gironde, Pyrénées-Orientales, and Lot-et-Garonne — due to risks of avalanches, violent winds, and flooding. Overnight, wind speeds peaked at 162 km/h in Biscarrosse and 145 km/h in Pau, with many other towns recording similarly high gusts. Approximately thirty departments remain on orange alert for storms and flooding.

The storm has been described by Météo-France as a "rare strength" event, causing widespread disruption and demanding heightened emergency response efforts across the southern regions of France. Measures such as evacuations and shelter provisions are ongoing, with the peak of flooding expected by Friday noon.