Storm "Nils", which struck southwestern France on Thursday, with wind speeds reaching more than 160 kilometers per hour, claimed the life of one person and cut off electricity to 900,000 homes. In light of this weather condition, “unusual in its severity,” French meteorology placed five southern provinces under red alert.
Published on: 02/12/2026 - 08:45 Last updated: 02/12/2026 - 14:58
Storm "Nils", which is sweeping southern France, with wind speeds reaching more than 160 kilometers per hour, killed a truck driver in southwestern France and cut off electricity to 900,000 homes on Thursday.
The local authorities in "Le Landes", western France, announced the first confirmed death from the unusual storm "Nils" that has struck the country since Tuesday evening. The accident occurred on a four-way highway due to a tree branch falling under the weight of strong winds. Speeds of 162 km/h were recorded in "Biscarrosse" on the coast and 136 km/h in "Mont de Marsan" on the territory. Electricity was also cut off to about 850,000 homes on Thursday morning.
The damage was concentrated in the provinces of "Neuvaquitin" (485 thousand homes) and "Occitanie" (318 thousand), and the company "Enedis" deployed rapid rescue teams that included 360 technicians to repair the networks.
Alerts and warnings
The French Meteorological Service (Météo France) issued maximum red alerts in four departments: Gironde and Le Haute-et-Garonne due to expected floods of the Garonne River between Langon and Agen (similar to the January 2022 flood), Aude for strong winds, and Savoie for the risk of avalanches, with their gradual lifting during the day (14:00 in Aude, 22:00 in Save.)
Also, about 30 provinces were placed on orange alert for “gusty winds” and “major floods”, including 22 provinces from Finistère to Hierro via Corrèze, with rain accumulation of up to 60-70 mm in the Pyrenees.
Implications for daily life and predictions
Schools were closed in Aude and Oriental Pyrenees, the SNCF company halted train traffic in affected areas, while some ski centers in Savoie were closed, with maritime navigation between Corsica and the continent disrupted.
The storm is heading towards the Gulf of Lion and then Corsica, with its decline Thursday morning in the southwest and evening in the Mediterranean regions, and the French Meteorological Service (Metéo France) warned of additional risks due to water-saturated soil after the rains at the beginning of the year.
France 24/AFP
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