Two people lost their lives and one more was missing Sunday after historic levels of rain drenched the south of France, provoking major floods that are only now starting to recede, officials said.

One corpse was found in the village of Muy, just north of France's Mediterranean coast, close to where a rescue dinghy had capsized on Saturday evening with three members of the fire brigade and three civilians aboard, the local authorities in the southern Var region said.

The Alpes-Maritimes and Var regions of southern France have been hit by torrential rainstorms that also caused huge waves in seaside areas
The Alpes-Maritimes and Var regions of southern France have been hit by torrential rainstorms that also caused huge waves in seaside areas AFP / Valery HACHE

One of the civilians had been reported missing.

The second body, of a man in his 50s, was found in the village of Cabasse in a car, said the local authorities, without giving further details.

IMAGESThe water level is receding in most of the areas affected by the floods on the Côte d'Azur, where Météo-France has lifted its red alert. In Roquebrune-sur-Argens, in the Var, the Argens River has risen to more than seven metres, beating previous
IMAGESThe water level is receding in most of the areas affected by the floods on the Côte d'Azur, where Météo-France has lifted its red alert. In Roquebrune-sur-Argens, in the Var, the Argens River has risen to more than seven metres, beating previous flood records from 2011. AFPTV / Antoine BOUTHIER

Meanwhile, another man, in his 70s, was still missing in the village of Saint-Antonin-du-Var after going out during the night amid heavy rain. Searches are continuing.

The Alpes-Maritimes and Var regions have since Friday been hit by torrential rainstorms that also caused huge waves in seaside areas.

The senior official for the Var region, Jean-Luc Videlaine, told AFP that the rains had been of "historic" intensity, adding that the damage will be "considerable".

In some areas of the Var region, the equivalent of two or three months of rain fell in just 24 or 48 hours.