Orange Alert: Storms Bring Traffic Restrictions in Southern France
Listen to the story
France had bad weather on Monday. Heavy rain and storms hit the country. The Var area got an orange alert. This is a warning about dangerous weather.
Because of the storms, officials made new rules. They put traffic restrictions in the Var. This means some cars could not drive on certain roads. The rules were there to keep people safe.
The storms were very strong. Experts said the worst part would come at 10 p.m. This is called the peak of the storm. People needed to get ready before that time.
Officials gave advice for homes. They said people should do some things now to protect their houses. These are called emergency actions.
Later, the orange alert grew bigger. It also covered Corsica, an island near France. In total, 20 departments were under the alert. A department is a type of area in France, like a region.
Vocabulary15 words
- orange alert
- a warning that weather could be dangerous
- traffic restrictions
- rules that stop some cars from driving
- peak
- the strongest or highest point of something
- emergency actions
- quick things you do to stay safe
- Corsica
- a French island in the sea
- departments
- areas of France, like small regions
- storms
- very bad weather with rain and wind
- restrictions
- rules that limit what you can do
- authorities
- people in charge, like the government
- heavy rain
- a lot of rain falling
- warning
- a message that tells you danger is near
- protect
- to keep something safe
- island
- land with water all around it
- region
- a part of a country
- dangerous
- not safe; can hurt you
Quiz
Answer key
1. Traffic restrictions 2. 10 p.m. 3. 20
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
France had bad weather on Monday. Heavy rain and _____ hit the country. The Var area got an _____ alert.
Because of the storms, officials made new rules. They put traffic _____ in the Var.
The storms were very strong. Experts said the worst part would come at _____ p.m. This is called the _____ of the storm.
Officials gave advice for homes. They said people should do _____ actions now to protect their houses.
Later, the orange alert grew bigger. It also covered _____, an island near France. In total, _____ departments were under the alert.