Storm Benjamin, the first real autumn storm, sweeps across France on Thursday with violent winds and stormy showers. Eighteen departments are placed on orange alert by Météo France for wind, flooding, and submersion. Regional rail services are disrupted in several areas.
The depression named Benjamin begins affecting France from Wednesday night to Thursday, generating very strong waves on the Atlantic and Manche coasts, according to La Chaîne Météo. Gusts will reach 100 to 110 km/h on exposed coasts overnight, peaking at 120-130 km/h between Vendée and Aquitaine on Thursday morning. Inland, peaks of 80 to 100 km/h are expected, up to 130 km/h on Massif central heights and over 120 km/h on Cévennes, Alps, and Jura reliefs.
La Chaîne Météo initially placed 14 departments on orange alert for wind, flooding, and wave-submersion: Vendée (85), Charente-Maritime (17), Gironde (33), Landes (40), Pyrénées-Atlantiques (64), Seine-Maritime (76), Manche (50), Pas-de-Calais (62), Somme (80), Corse (2A and 2B), Pyrénées-Orientales (66), Aude (11), and Nord (59). Météo France extended this alert to four more departments: Charente (16), Deux-Sèvres (79), Puy-de-Dôme (63), and Corrèze (19), totaling 18.
In Corsica, the strongest winds are forecast with up to 150 km/h on Cap Corse and 130 km/h on the north and south ends. In Île-de-France, no real local storm but agitated weather: gusts of 80-90 km/h, locally 100 km/h in the afternoon, with stormy showers. Intense precipitation of 10-15 mm/h is expected on the Alps and Massif central, risking runoffs and river overflows.
Regarding transport, SNCF is suspending TER trains on many lines Thursday: nearly all in Normandy (except some Paris lines with speed limits), disruptions in Brittany (Brest-Quimper, Brest-Nantes, Rennes-Nantes), interruptions in Nouvelle-Aquitaine (20 lines including Bordeaux-La Rochelle), and 70 km/h limits in Hauts-de-France and Centre-Val de Loire. TGVs run normally, but delays are possible in Pays de la Loire.