Météo-France introduces more localised weather warnings
Météo-France has introduced a more precise warning system allowing dangerous weather conditions to be highlighted within individual departments rather than applying the same alert level across an entire area.
Since 1 September, localised warnings can be issued for thunderstorms, strong winds, rain and flooding, and snow and ice, giving residents and local authorities a clearer picture of where the greatest risks are expected.
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The familiar green, yellow, orange and red departmental warning map will remain in place.
However, a second map can now show different levels of risk within the same department when forecasts are sufficiently precise.
The change is particularly relevant to areas such as the Alpes-Maritimes, where conditions can vary considerably between the coast, the hinterland and mountainous areas.
In the past, an entire department could be placed under an orange warning despite severe weather being expected in only part of the territory.
Météo-France says improvements in forecasting technology have made the new system possible.
Weather models that operated at a resolution of around 10 kilometres in the early 2000s can now work at kilometre scale, although forecasters stress that this does not mean individual weather events can always be predicted with that level of accuracy.
📢 [ Nouveauté ] Dès ce 1er septembre, la Vigilance infra-départementale s’étend à 4 nouveaux phénomènes : Vent, Neige-Verglas, Pluie-inondation et Orages.
— Météo-France (@meteofrance) September 1, 2026
📱Décryptage : https://t.co/erA9ThAA73 pic.twitter.com/V0aIQAhysz
Thunderstorms and sudden flooding remain particularly difficult to locate in advance.
When there is too much uncertainty, Météo-France may therefore continue to use larger warning areas rather than provide a more detailed local map.
The move follows repeated calls for greater precision from local authorities, including elected officials in the Alpes-Maritimes.
The issue was highlighted after severe flooding hit Cannes in September 2024 while the department was under a yellow warning, prompting criticism of the existing system.
The change has been welcomed by Anthony Brunain, founder of Nice Météo, although he believes the new zones could go further.
He suggested that clearly defined areas similar to those already used for wildfire warnings could make it easier for individual municipalities to understand whether they are affected.
Météo-France already uses localised warnings for avalanche and coastal flooding risks and says it is also working on extending the approach to heatwave warnings.