Weather tracker: Southern France under yellow alert after severe thunderstorms

The Guardian - World NewsEN 2 min read 100% complete by Faye Hulton and Oliver Lewis for MetDeskMarch 13, 2026 at 11:26 AM

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Severe thunderstorms prompted yellow alerts in southern France on Monday, March 9th, particularly impacting the Hérault, Var, and Alpes-Maritimes departments. The Var department experienced significant rainfall, with the Hyères weather station recording a record-breaking 113.7mm in 24 hours, causing the Gapeau River to overflow. Simultaneously, the US experienced severe convective storms, potentially setting a new hail size record in Illinois after a reported 6-inch hailstone in Kankakee. In South Africa, a persistent high-pressure system created a "heat dome" over the Namakwa district and Western Cape province, leading to record-breaking March temperatures, including 42.1C in Cape Town.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer 30% Kankakee 30% Cape Town city 30% Alpes-Maritimes 30% Gapeau River 40% Var 40% Carqueiranne 40% Western Cape province 40% Illinois 40% Hérault 50% Namakwa district 50%

Keywords

severe thunderstorms 90% heavy rain 80% rainfall totals 70% flooding 70% temperature records 60% hail 60% yellow alert 50% heat dome 50% high pressure 40%

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Negative

Score: -0.20

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The Guardian - World News

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90%

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Hérault

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis.

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severe thunderstorms heavy rain rainfall totals flooding temperature records hail yellow alert heat dome high pressure

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