Flood warning issued for French Pyrenees

Flood warnings have been issued for much of south-west France with a remarkably long period of rain expected to last from Friday midday to mid-afternoon Saturday.

A village in the foothills of the Pyrenees Tony Cross

Official weather-watcher Météo France expected a "rainy period remarkable for its length,

making special vigilance necessary because of the major accumulations expected and saturation of the earth" on the French side of the Pyrenees mountains.

The authorities issued orange raind and flood warnings for four departments - Ariège, Haute-Garonne, Hautes-Pyrénées et Pyrénées-Atlantiques, predicting heavy rain that will get heavier during the morning and will continue until the middle of Saturday afternoon.

The Pyrenees are often hit by storms that cause floods, which last year caused the death of one woman, the closure the grotto at Lourdes and widespread damage in the area.