Photos: floods across south-west france as rivers burst banks

DEPARTMENTS INCLUDING DORDOGNE HAVE SEEN RIVERS INCREASE BY MORE THAN FIVE METRES ABOVE USUAL LEVELS Rainfall across France has been almost incessant in many parts of the country and

particularly in the south-west and Alps. Although not as powerful as during this autumn’s _cévenol_ storms, the duration of the rain has caused rivers to burst their banks. This has been

particularly prominent in the south-west, where a number of rivers including the Garonne, Dordogne and Vézère have been on heightened alert for high levels since Monday. See photos of the

flooding shared on social media below. BERGERAC SEES FLOODING, ROADS CLOSED The official social media pages of Bergerac, Dordogne, shared several photos of flooding in the town centre: > 

⚠️ Crue de la Dordogne / Point de situation >  > ➡️ La #Dordogne a continué de monter à l’image du > belvédère qui n’est presque plus visible à #Bergerac. >  > 🌊 Ne 

franchissez pas les barrières et ne vous approchez pas des > berges. >  > Soyez prudents ⚠️ >  > Infos ➡️ https://t.co/mhPJXvatv9 pic.twitter.com/UZjCX6MnQs > — Ville de 

Bergerac (@VilledeBergerac) December 13, 2023 “The Dordogne has continued to rise,” says the post “the normal view from the belvedere is almost no longer visible. Do not cross the barriers

and do not approach the riverbanks.” Elsewhere in the department, children were taken to school by tractor with the roads too flooded to accommodate their usual transport. > Inondations 

en #Dordogne : dans un village inondé, les enfants > prennent le tracteur pour aller à l'école  > ➡️ https://t.co/gCnggzQY2L pic.twitter.com/lpNrFZISrW > — ici Périgord 

(@iciperigord) December 12, 2023 Roads have become increasingly difficult to drive on with drivers urged to be careful and check their route before leaving. The RD6089 near Terrasson was

flooded this morning, and near the village of Bugue, all the roads adjacent to the Vézère river are closed off. TOWN CLOSE TO FAMOUS CAVES THREATENED One of the towns most affected in the

Dordogne is Montignac, situated close to the famous Lascaux cave system. The river in this area has risen over 5.4 metres above its usual height since Monday. It is expected to peak at 6

metres higher than usual around midday today (December 14), before gradually falling. The rapid increase has led to flooding in the town but the Lascaux caves have not been affected. > 🌊 

Parmi les cours d'eau en crue, la #Vézère connaît des > débordements importants en #Dordogne. Ici, les quais de #Montignac > sont sous les eaux et certaines habitations sont 

touchées. (photo > restaurant l’annexe) pic.twitter.com/bMbngnBCEM > — Guillaume Séchet (@Meteovilles) December 12, 2023 > 🌊 De nombreuses crues sont toujours en cours, notamment 

dans le > centre-ouest de la France. Ici, la Vézère engendre des inondations > à Montignac en Dordogne. (© Françoise Marien) > pic.twitter.com/g3jWFS5Lda > — Météo Express 

(@MeteoExpress) December 13, 2023 Unlike with the floods earlier this year in the Pas-de-Calais department, emergency measures have not been announced by the government as fewer residencies

have been affected. FLOODS SHOULD STOP SOON Today (December 14) will see the peak of the flooding, as from this evening an anticyclone wind will move in from the north-west and cover much of

France, including the south-west. The winds will bring cold, but dry weather to the area, allowing river levels to recede. Weather experts warn, however, that rivers may flood again if

heavy rains fall at Christmas. RELATED ARTICLE PREPARE FOR BIG TEMPERATURE DROP OF UP TO 10C IN FRANCE