Southern France Hit By Heavy Rainfall And Flooding

PARIS, Jan 20 (Bernama-dpa) -- Heavy rainfall in southern France has triggered widespread flooding, forcing road and school closures, as Météo France issued its second-highest storm alert for three mainland departments and the island of Corsica, reported German Press Agency (dpa).

Residents in two districts in Narbonne on the coast were forced to spend Sunday night in emergency accommodation as a precautionary measure.

The prefecture later allowed residents to return to their homes. More than 40 roads remained closed, and schools in 109 locations will remain closed on Tuesday.

Emergency services answered 72 calls. One person was severely injured in a weather-related accident.

Numerous roads around the city of Perpignan were closed to traffic, and long tailbacks built up.

The heavy rainfall did, however, alleviate a persistent water shortage in the region. The Pyrénées-Orientales department lifted water restrictions that had been in place for some time.

The authorities in Perpignan said that water levels in many rivers had returned to normal and that underground water reserves had been replenished.

--BERNAMA-dpa