Paris: France's national weather service has placed 12 western and central departments under an orange thunderstorm alert for Wednesday. There is a risk of hail, heavy rain with hourly accumulations of up to 30 millimeters (1.2 inches), wind gusts of 80 to 100 kilometers per hour (50-62 miles per hour), and intense lightning activity, according to Meteo-France's warning on US social media company X.

According to Anadolu Agency, authorities expect a significant risk of severe weather phenomena during Wednesday's episode, as reported by broadcaster BFMTV. The alert follows severe storms that swept across southern France from Monday night into Tuesday, including a destructive tornado in the Aude department on Monday.

Stormy weather is projected to persist over the coming days. A stormy zone is anticipated to develop Thursday from the southern Massif Central to Lorraine. Additionally, rain and storms are expected to shift eastward by Friday morning, BFMTV reported.

Meteo-France indicated that numerous showers could occur across a large part of northwestern France.