Four people have been killed and at least one man is missing after the massive rainfalls in southern France that caused floods, AFP reports.

The body of one victim was discovered in a village in the Var region of the country's Mediterranean coast. A second body, a man about 50 years old, was found in his car, which was swept away by the high floodwaters of the village of Cabas. The bodies of a couple aged in their 70s were also found in their car.

A man of about 70 years old is missing in the village of Saint-Antonin-du-Var. He was last seen leaving his home in the middle of the night in the biggest downpour.

The Alpes-Maritimes and Var departments have been severely affected by torrential rains and storms. According to local authorities, the rains were of "historic" intensity and the damage they caused would be "significant".