Perpignan 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 Spanish border on the Mediterranean coast, the city is exposed to the same intense autumn storm systems that affect the wider region. 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