Storm Nils has swept across the south of France. The Pyrénées-Orientales department was placed on red alert on February 12th by Météo France, along with four other French departments: Savoie, Aude, Gironde, and Lot-et-Garonne, for risk of avalanches, high winds, and flooding. A truck driver died in the Landes region on Thursday. 900,000 homes were without electricity (Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie), according to Enedis. The French Minister for Economy referred to an "exceptional event."
In the Dordogne and Haute-Garonne departments, several farmers have reported that their greenhouses have been dismantled.
© Ville de Perpignan Following the rainfall of the last few weeks, the ground is waterlogged, allowing trees to be uprooted by the strong gusts.
Exceptional gusts recorded in Pyrénées-Orientales
Strong wind gusts were recorded, reaching 180 km/h in some towns such as Caixas. The FR-Alert system was activated in Pyrénées-Orientales, and schools were closed. Numerous trees fell, and roads were blocked in the department.
#StormNils 🌬️Traffic - Department of Pyrénées-Orientales (66)
🚧 In accordance with the traffic orders in force, several measures are being applied this Thursday, February 12th, 2026:
🚗 On departmental roads (from 4 am)
- Traffic bans...
- Prefect of Pyrénées-Orientales (@Prefet66) February 12, 2026
The prefecture announced a traffic ban for trucks over 7.5 tons from 4 am until 12 pm on Thursday. Traffic was halted on the A9 early on Thursday, following an accident involving four trucks lying on the lanes between Leucate and Perpignan, heading towards Spain.
© Vinci Autoroutes
In Perpignan, E.Leclerc stores also closed temporarily. "Due to the weather conditions linked to storm Nils and in order to guarantee everyone's safety, your E.Leclerc Perpignan stores (and drives) are adapting their opening hours today, expected to reopen at 4 pm, subject to change," explained Leclerc Perpignan on its Facebook page.
Traffic restrictions on the A9, A54, A61 and A75 highways
"Traffic restrictions were planned on the A9, A54, A61, and A75 highways, with speed limits for all vehicles and compulsory parking zones for trucks. To ensure the safety of road users in the Aude department, trucks over 7.5 tons, including those transporting hazardous materials, were banned from 4 am to 12 pm on Thursday on several major roads. The measure concerned the A75 southbound, the A61 towards Narbonne, the A54 towards the A9, and large sections of the A9, from the Nîmes area to the Spanish border, in both directions," according to Vinci Autoroutes.
Leucate
Storm Nils also hits Spain
Storm Nils also raged on the other side of the border. In Catalonia, 5 people were injured, according to the Spanish Civil Protection, and a large number of trees fell on the roads and railways.
