Following the storms in the past 24 hours which have ended the intense and prolonged heatwave, swimming is prohibited today, Friday 21 August 2026, until 08:00 on Saturday 22 August at all beaches in Antibes and Juan-les-Pins on the French Riviera. *** UPDATE 26 August: The preventive ban on beaches in Antibes and Juan-les-Pins, after the storm, has been lifted. All beaches are open once more!
“Test results from the Ponton Courbet, Promenade du Soleil, Square Gould, Les Ondes, Garoupe (East and West), Salis, Ponteil, and Gravette beaches confirm good bathing water quality,” the town hall confirmed.
In Menton, swimming is once again permitted at Hawaï, Sablettes, and Borrigo beaches.

“However, it remains prohibited at Careï and Fossan beaches pending the receipt of new water quality analysis results,” said Menton’s town hall. UPDATE WED 26 AUG: Results are in and all Menton beaches have been cleared for swimming.
DON’T MISS: Watch the rain and dramatic lightning in Antibes here
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(The update of 26 August is above. Below is the news article from 21 August.)
The Antibes townhall announced that following the storms last night swimming at all its coastal beaches is banned as a precautionary measury to preserve the health and safety of swimmers.
“The storms are likely to have caused landslides and drainage of stormwater networks and waterways,” said the townhall. “Analyses are underway to confirm the good quality of all bathing water.”
A few weeks ago, Antibes’ La Gravette beach (pictured above) recorded higher than acceptable levels of e-coli, so it’s understandable that authorities are being cautious this time around. Yesterday, after swimming was first banned as the storm approached, bathers continued swimming oblivious to the ban. Today, the sea was cordoned off to make the ban was adhered to!
The heaviest rainfall is over for the French Riviera
The Cote d’Azur weather bureau said the unsettled weather is coming to an end and the heaviest rainfall has moved away.
Some lingering showers may persist, especially inland.
The Orange Alert for thunderstorms and heavy rain/flooding expired at 10:00 on Friday, and the Yellow Alert lifts at midday.
Storm was not as bad as predicted
Cote d’Azur Meteo revealed that “worst-case forecasts had raised fears of a much more severe event, prompting the initial alerts. Ultimately, the impact was less severe than anticipated, despite localized intense thunderstorms bringing surface runoff, isolated flooding, and some damage. The most violent weather remained highly localised.”
Conditions are expected to improve rapidly today and temperatures will remain summery BUT “much more comfortable”.
Rainfall Totals
The meteo recorded the following rainfall totals over the past 48 hours, with much more received inland than on the coast:
- #Levens (06) area with 133.7 mm of rain
- #Tende/#StDalmas (06) with 122.1 mm
- #Gilette (06) with 119.4 mm
- 10–12 mm in #Antibes (06)
- 14 mm at #Nice (06) airport
- 28 mm at #CannesMandelieu (06) airport
- Along the Var coast, stations generally recorded between 15 and 30 mm
