A tornado of unusual intensity swept through southwestern France late on Monday, damaging more than 300 homes and injuring dozens of people as severe thunderstorms struck parts of the country following weeks of intense summer heat.
The tornado hit the Aude region, with the village of Pomas among the worst affected areas. Local authorities said 39 people were injured, including two who were in critical condition.
The storm caused significant damage to homes and infrastructure, while thousands of households across southern France were left without electricity.
Pomas bears the brunt of the storm
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described the tornado as an event of rare intensity, saying it had severely damaged Pomas.
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Footage verified by Reuters showed the tornado forming over the nearby village of Verzeille. Homes along its path suffered extensive damage, with windows shattered by the force of the storm.
More than 300 homes were damaged across the affected area, leaving residents facing potentially lengthy repairs and disruption.
The immediate priority for authorities has been assessing structural damage, assisting injured residents and restoring electricity to communities affected by the storm.
Thousands remain without power
The tornado also disrupted the region’s electricity network.
By Tuesday morning, about 21,000 households in southern France were without power, according to local grid operator ENEDIS. Around 1,600 of those households were located in the Aude region.
Power outages add another layer of difficulty for residents already dealing with damaged homes and disrupted local infrastructure.
A sharp change after weeks of heat
The tornado struck as France experienced a dramatic shift in weather conditions.
Southern parts of the country had been affected by an intense heatwave before thunderstorms moved across the region this week. The transition from extreme heat to severe thunderstorms created conditions capable of producing damaging weather.
The event illustrates how rapidly weather conditions can change during periods of extreme summer heat, with communities moving from concerns over excessive temperatures to thunderstorms, strong winds and localised destructive events.
For residents of Aude, the immediate concern is now recovery. With dozens injured, hundreds of homes damaged and thousands still without electricity, authorities face a substantial clean-up and reconstruction effort following one of the region’s most severe recent tornado events.
With information from Reuters.
