Avignon 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.
Sitting where the Rhone meets the Durance, the city has a long history of significant river flooding during Mediterranean storm events. 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