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Glance around France: Halloween ‘damage control’ in Brittany and more storms in the south

In today's round-up of news stories from around France we look at how one Breton department is taking precautions against some ghoulish Halloween antics, southern France braces itself for yet more storms and the pickpockets who made off with a small fortune (but not for long).

Published: 31 October 2018 17:30 CET
Glance around France: Halloween 'damage control' in Brittany and more storms in the south
Photo: AFP

Pickpockets steal €7,000 from Japanese tourists outside Paris

Four pickpockets managed to get their hands on what was probably the haul of their lives (albeit briefly) when they stole a whopping €7,000 from Japanese tourists in the department of Yvelines to the west of Paris. 
 
The incident took place at around midnight in the town of Velizy on Tuesday, with the thieves quickly fleeing from the scene leaving the victims stunned, according to reports in the French press. 
 
However it seems the tourists quickly came to their senses, filing a detailed report with the police that led to the pickpockets being quickly arrested and some of the money being found just a couple of hours later. 
 
 
 
Southern France on alert for storms and flooding
 
It's been a big week for weather in France so far what with the early winter chill bringing snow to some parts of the country, as well as storms and high winds elsewhere. 
 
And it isn't over yet. 
 
Five departments in southern France have been placed on orange alert — the second highest warning — for storms and floods by France's national weather agency Meteo France. 
 
These are Var, Aveyron, Lozère, Gard and Hérault were placed in orange alert by Météo France, for heavy rains.
 
Orange alert indicates that people in these areas should remain vigilant due to the risk of dangerous weather. 
 

 
 
Sale of alcohol, fuel and fireworks banned in parts of Brittany… all because of Halloween 
 
Local authorities in one Breton department have taken some serious precautions this Halloween. 
 
The capital of Brittany Rennes, and the department in which it sits Ille-et-Vilaine, has banned the sale of alcohol, fuel and fireworks as a result of the overenthusiastic Halloween celebrations seen in 2016 and 2017. 
 
So much damage was caused during in those years by “bands of young people”, including cars being set on fire and bus shelters being destroyed, that the authorities have issued the public order in a bid to stop the same thing happening again. 
 
The order will be in place across the while of the department from Halloween itself, October 31st, and November 2nd. 
 

 
 
 

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WEATHER

IN PICTURES: French town hit by freak June hailstorm

A French town has been hit by a freak hailstorm that left locals clearing drifts of ice in the streets with shovels and snow ploughs.

Published: 29 June 2021 16:44 CEST
IN PICTURES: French town hit by freak June hailstorm
Photo: Sapeurs-pompiers des Vosges

The hail struck the town of Plombières-les-Bains in the Vosges mountains on Tuesday morning.

Romain Munier, head of communications for the local emergency services, told French media: “There were up to 60 centimetres of accumulated hail” while in the wider area, “up to 10 millimetres of water accumulated in six minutes”.

https://twitter.com/timbaland57/status/1409881345741012994

Locals were pictured clearing the street of ice with shovels and snow ploughs after the storm passed and the fire and rescue crews for the Vosges area said they had received 56 callouts in total.

Large areas of France are on weather alert for storms until Thursday, as a ‘cold drop’ passes over the country leading to extremely unsettled weather.

In most areas, however, the storms will be confined to heavy rain and thunder.

In neighbouring Switzerland, the Swiss news agency ATS reported giant hailstones up to seven centimetres wide in the canton of Lucerne.

In the canton of Fribourg, the police and fire brigade were called 300 times, including to rescue a class of 16 children and two adults caught in the hail.

Six of the children and one adult were taken to hospital.

At least five people were injured in the German-speaking Swiss cantons, including a cyclist who suffered head injuries from hailstones, according to ATS, whilst in Germany severe flooding has hit parts of the country including Stuttgart.

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