Météo-France has issued red alerts for four departments in southwestern France as Storm Pedro brings heavy rain and 140 km/h winds to ground already saturated by a record-breaking 35 consecutive days of rainfall. The extreme soil moisture has caused rivers like the Garonne and Maine to reach 25-year highs. Thousands of homes are currently without power or clean drinking water, while rail services remain severely disrupted. Authorities have been forced to deliberately flood certain roads to alleviate pressure on waterways.
Date: February 19, 2026. Source: euronews.com