France hit by more than 35 days of rain

Al Jazeera · Feb 19, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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France endures more than 35 days of rain as floods worsen and Storm Pedro threatens Western Europe.French firefighters search for a 53-year-old man who disappeared in the Loire River after his boat capsized during flooding in Chalonnes-sur-Loire, western France [Sebastien Salom-Gomis/AFP]By AFPPublished On 19 Feb 2026France has marked a record-breaking streak of more than 35 consecutive days of rain.National weather service Meteo-France said the country was experiencing its longest series of rainy days since measurements began in 1959, breaking the 2023 record.Four departments in western France were placed under red alert for the risk of flooding, with officials expecting the situation to worsen with the arrival of Storm Pedro, which is poised to batter swaths of Western Europe.The new rainfall could “fuel the current floods”, said Lucie Chadourne-Facon, director of flood alert service Vigicrues.The mayor of Bordeaux, Pierre Hurmic, activated the southwestern city’s emergency plan for the first time since record floods in 1999.In the western town of Chalonnes-sur-Loire, on the left bank of the Loire, a man went missing on Tuesday evening after his canoe capsized, said senior official Francois Pesneau.Nine departments were placed on orange alert, the second-highest level.The affected regions will see drier weather from Friday, said Chadourne-Facon, adding, however, that “the end of the rain does not mean the end of the flooding.”A flooded road in Chalonnes-sur-Loire, western France. [Sebastien Salom-Gomis/AFP]Floodwater surrounds houses in Jusix, in the Lot-and-Garonne department of southwestern France. [Ed Jones/AFP]Four departments in western France were placed under red alert for the risk of flooding. [Sebastien Salom-Gomis/AFP]Officials expect the situation to worsen with the arrival of Storm Pedro, which is poised to batter swaths of Western Europe. [Sebastien Salom-Gomis/AFP]National weather service Meteo-France said on Wednesday the country was experiencing its longest series of rainy days since measurements began in 1959. [Romain Perrocheau/AFP]A flooded house in Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, western France. [Romain Perrocheau/AFP]The new rainfall from Storm Pedro could “fuel the current floods”, said Lucie Chadourne-Facon, director of flood alert service Vigicrues. [Romain Perrocheau/AFP]This aerial view shows the Garonne River in Tonneins, in the Lot-and-Garonne department, southwestern France. [Ed Jones/AFP]