Storm Regina set to lash southern France after brief taste of spring

After several days that have felt almost spring-like across France - lighter evenings, brighter mornings and milder afternoons - forecasters are warning that winter is not finished yet, with a named storm expected to bring disruptive weather to the south of the country.

The system, Storm Regina, is described as a vigorous Atlantic disturbance and is the 17th named storm of the season. That tally means Europe has already matched the record set in 2023/2024, but six weeks earlier than last year’s calendar. Driven by unstable atmospheric flows pushing up from North Africa, Regina is expected to hit mainly the southern half of France.

A season already battered by storms and record February rainfall

France has already endured a rough winter marked by powerful storms, including Goretti in January and Nils in February. February was notably wet - reported as the rainiest February since 1959 - leaving many catchments and soils saturated ahead of the next bout of severe weather.

Regina’s track: Atlantic to Spain, then into southern France

Regina is currently positioned over the Atlantic Ocean and is forecast to travel over the Canary Islands and Spain before reaching France. Along the way, it is expected to interact with a phenomenon known in Spain as a DANA (depresión aislada en niveles altos), broadly equivalent to an isolated high-level depression, located to the south-west of the Iberian Peninsula.

What a DANA is - and why it can intensify downpours

A DANA forms when a pocket of very cold air breaks away from the polar jet stream and becomes isolated at high altitude, surrounded by much warmer air. That sharp contrast can destabilise the atmosphere, forcing warm, moisture-laden air to rise rapidly, condense and produce intense, sometimes torrential rainfall.

Heaviest impacts expected from Thursday 5 March

Regina and the DANA are forecast to draw moisture from both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, funnelling it into southern France. From Thursday 5 March, the areas expected to be most exposed include:

• Languedoc
• Roussillon
• The Cévennes foothills
• The Rhône Valley

The Pyrénées-Orientales department could see conditions deteriorate as early as today, according to the same outlook.

Flooding, damaging winds and coastal hazards flagged

Meteorologists are warning of heavy rain and strong wind gusts across the affected regions. With river basins already swollen after February’s rainfall, there is concern that saturated ground will be unable to absorb more water, increasing the risk that some rivers could burst their banks.

Along the coast, forecasters also caution about large waves and a risk of coastal flooding. Three departments - Hérault, Aude and Gard - may need to brace for a classic Mediterranean heavy-rain episode, while further west, the southern Atlantic seaboard, including Landes and the Basque Country, is expected to see sustained spells of rain.

Travel warning: avoid flood-prone routes from Thursday evening

Authorities and forecasters are urging residents to take the threat seriously, especially where flooding is common. Flood-prone roads should be avoided from Thursday evening, with particular concern that the Basque relief could trap moist air and cause rainfall totals to spike locally, catching drivers off guard.

People are advised to monitor official weather warnings for their department and keep up with real-time alerts, particularly if travel by car is unavoidable, as attention turns to whether what may be the season’s final winter storm causes significant damage.