Montpellier sits in southern France under a Mediterranean climate, with dry summers and a distinct autumn rainy season, when warm, moist air off the Mediterranean can produce extremely intense, fast-moving storms known locally as episodes cevenols or Mediterranean episodes.
Near the Mediterranean coast, the city sits in one of France’s most flash-flood-prone regions, having experienced deadly episodes cevenols in recent decades. These autumn storms can drop a large fraction of a year’s rainfall in a matter of hours, and because they intensify and move quickly, radar tracking is one of the most important tools French forecasters use to warn of flash flooding. Meteo-France operates the national radar network. Learn more: Flash Flood Warning Signs on Radar · Open the full Rain Map