Photos: dangerous weather alert issued as severe flooding hits brittany

WINDS OF 120KM/H FORECAST AS DEPRESSION HERMINIA STRIKES THE ATLANTIC SHORE. BRITISH SAILOR MISSING IN THE ATLANTIC Updated 16:64: High (orange) weather alerts have also been issued in

Morbihan and Loire-Atlantique due to the risk of coastal flooding. A dangerous weather alert has been issued in Brittany for flooding as depression Herminia brings winds of up to 120km/h,

complicating recovery efforts in the aftermath of Storm Eowyn. The effects of Storm Eowyn were not as widespread in France as in the UK or Ireland - but in Brittany, and the department of

Ille-et-Vilaine in particular, the storm was devastating.  Up to 15 days’ average rain fell on Saturday alone, causing the department’s already completely gorged watercourses to overflow. In

the Breton capital of Rennes 400 people had to be evacuated from their homes on Saturday as the river Ille burst its banks. “We issued an evacuation order yesterday (Saturday) evening for

four streets (...), homes that are behind a dyke that normally protects them, and here the water has gone over the dyke,” announced mayor Nathalie Appéré at a press conference on Sunday

(January 26). “After a slight lull, further rain this Sunday is set to cause more problems with many rivers, which are already saturated. We expect more flooding.” The flooding, which Ms

Appéré said was already worse than the devastating floods of 1981, is forecast to get worse.  “Unfortunately, the peak flood level has not yet been reached’, she said. “The water will recede

slowly and that will probably not start until Wednesday.” On Monday morning, the river Vilaine reached a depth of 3m58 - beating its previous record set in 2021. “We expect the water level

to rise over [Sunday] night and [on Monday]”, said sub-prefect Jean-Christophe Boursin on Sunday evening. For the duration of the dangerous weather alert the Ille-et-Vilaine prefecture warns

people to: * Follow the weather situation on the Météo-France website * Keep up to date with river conditions at www.vigicrues.gouv.fr * Find out about traffic conditions on the Bison Futé

website * Be vigilant if you are near a watercourse or an area that is usually subject to flooding * Stay away from watercourses and avoid the most exposed waterside activities * Respect any

traffic restrictions or diversions that have been put in place * Do not walk or drive on a road that is even partially under water High (orange) weather alerts have also been raised due to

flooding in the neighbouring and nearby departments of Maine-et-Loire, Mayenne, Orne, Calvados and Eure. > Pour lundi 27 janvier 2025 : > 🔴 1 département en Vigilance rouge > 🟠 8 

départements en Vigilance orange >  > Pour mardi 28 janvier 2025 : > 🔴 1 département en Vigilance rouge > 🟠 13 départements en Vigilance orange >  > Restez prudents et 

informés :https://t.co/JGz4rTUvHP > pic.twitter.com/VD3CLNdtO5 > — VigiMétéoFrance (@VigiMeteoFrance) January 27, 2025 BRITISH SAILOR MISSING Further south, a 73 year-old British

sailor was declared missing on his boat following a distress call on Sunday at 80km off the coast of Gironde. The man, who has not been publicly named, had radioed that he was “well” on

Friday night, signalling his intention to continue his route despite the danger presented by Storm Eowyn. A distress signal from the yacht was detected on Saturday afternoon. “At 17:30 our

helicopter arrived on the scene to find the yacht gutted”, announced the Préfecture maritime (Prémar) de l'Atlantique. “The winch operators discovered the rescue raft empty.” A French

Navy Falcon 50 and a Caiman helicopter, as well as two diverted rescue vessels, joined the search. However, the search was suspended at around 01:30 on Sunday morning.