Weather warnings: what to do at each colour

The four colours

Colour	Official meaning
Green	No particular precaution needed.
Yellow — « Be alert »	Phenomenon usual in the region, but occasionally and locally dangerous (mistral, summer storms, rising water).
Orange — « Be very vigilant »	Dangerous phenomena expected. Stay informed and follow authorities' safety advice.
Red — « Absolute vigilance »	Dangerous phenomena of exceptional intensity. Strictly follow authorities' instructions.

Vigicrues: a separate system

Météo-France's weather warning doesn't cover rising watercourses: that's the role of Vigicrues, with the same four colours but a meaning specific to each monitored stretch:

Vigicrues colour	What it means
Yellow	Risk of flooding or rapid rise in water, no significant damage expected, but vigilance required for exposed activities.
Orange	Risk of flooding causing significant overflow, with possible impact on the safety of people and property.
Red	Risk of major flooding: direct and widespread threat to the safety of people and property.

The basic rule for orange or red flood warnings: never try to cross a flooded watercourse, on foot or by car. 30 cm of moving water is enough to destabilise a vehicle.

One action per phenomenon

Phenomenon at orange or red warning	The first action
Strong wind	Bring in or secure outdoor objects that could fly away.
Storms	Avoid non-essential travel, unplug sensitive equipment.
Flooding (Vigicrues)	Stay away from watercourses, see our flooding guide.
Heatwave	See our dedicated guide (coming), on hydration and vulnerable people.
Snow-ice	Limit travel, equip your vehicle (see our car emergency kit).

Mistakes to avoid

Ignoring a yellow warning as "just yellow". That's precisely the level where attention avoids the worst, before the situation worsens.
Panicking over an orange warning that doesn't concern your activity. The warning level specifies the phenomenon: a "wind" orange doesn't call for the same actions as a "flooding" orange.
Confusing weather warnings and Vigicrues. These are two separate systems, to check separately if your area is near a watercourse.
Crossing a flooded watercourse, on foot or by car, regardless of the colour shown.

With LASTLINE

Your area's warnings, sorted

LASTLINE can help you:

receive the weather and flood warnings concerning your area;
see associated advice for each alert, rather than a simple colour.

LASTLINE relays official Météo-France and Vigicrues warnings, it doesn't issue them itself.

Track my area's warnings

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between yellow, orange and red warnings?

Yellow means « be alert » to a phenomenon usual in the region but sometimes locally dangerous. Orange means « be very vigilant », dangerous phenomena are expected. Red means « absolute vigilance », phenomena of exceptional intensity are expected and authorities' instructions must be strictly followed.

Are weather warnings and Vigicrues the same thing?

No. Météo-France's weather warning covers atmospheric phenomena (wind, storms, snow, heatwave). Vigicrues is a separate system, specific to rising levels in monitored watercourses, with the same four colours but a meaning specific to flood risk.

Does an orange warning require staying home?

Not systematically: an orange warning asks you to stay very vigilant and follow how the situation develops, not necessarily to shelter in place. Precise instructions depend on the phenomenon (wind, snow, flood) and are given by local authorities.

Sources

Météo-France, What is the warning system.
Vigicrues, National flood warning map.