South of France under flood waters again

Violent storms lashed parts of southern France once again on Monday night leaving the city of Montpellier once again under water. Hundreds of residents were forced to evacuate their homes.

Around 300 people had to seek refuge in a sports gym overnight in the north of the city after water levels rose following more violent storms across the region.

The severe weather comes just days after Montpellier was left looking more like Atlantis when heavy rains caused the river Lez to burst its banks.

On Monday night the level of the river reached a similar height. Firefighters were called out dozens of times after the cities residents found their homes inundated with water. Several people had to be rescued by helicopter.

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Météo France had placed the departments of the Var, Herault and the Gard on Orange alert - the second highest level of weather warning. The alert will stay in place midday on Tuesday.

Around 30 roads across the area were cut due to the flood waters.

Last week's floods saw around 4,000 residents rescued from their homes with forecasters saying the same amount of rain fell on the town as would normally fall in half a year whole year.

Emergency services were called out 1,200 times throughout the night to help residents across the region.

Last month similiar severe weather left four people dead in southern France when they were swept away in raging flood waters.