Paris, 25 August (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The France storm alert covering a large part of the country’s south has ended after a severe outbreak of thunderstorms brought damaging winds, large hail and intense rainfall, with a destructive tornado striking the Aude department.
The severe weather developed on Monday, 24 August, as a low-pressure system moving north from Portugal towards the Bay of Biscay encountered very warm and humid air over France. La Chaîne Météo had placed 22 departments under orange alert and another 33 under yellow alert as the storms spread eastwards.
Severe storms sweep across southern France
Forecasters had warned that thunderstorms could produce wind gusts of 90 to 110 km/h, locally reaching around 120 km/h, along with hail and rainfall totals of 30 to 50mm within an hour.
The storms affected areas stretching from Nouvelle-Aquitaine through Occitanie and the Massif Central towards Provence, the Alps and Corsica.
According to La Chaîne Météo’s assessment on Tuesday morning, 19,638 lightning strikes were recorded during Monday’s storms, making it France’s second-most electrically active day of the summer after 16 July.
Tornado causes major damage in Aude
The most serious incident occurred in Pomas, south of Carcassonne, where a powerful tornado damaged around 300 homes.
Reuters reported that 39 people were injured, including two critically, while authorities evacuated the village so damaged buildings could be assessed. Around 1,400 households in the Aude department remained without electricity on Tuesday morning.
Weather observations cited by La Chaîne Météo recorded hailstones measuring between 3cm and 5cm in Aude. Wind gusts reached 117 km/h at Arquettes-en-Val and 105 km/h at Lézignan-Corbières. Montolieu recorded 35.1mm of rain in one hour.
Authorities respond to destructive weather
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the tornado as a rare and violent event and expressed support for residents affected by the destruction, according to reports following the storm. Emergency crews were deployed as authorities assessed damaged homes and infrastructure.
The France storm alert followed official warnings that an active band of thunderstorms could produce locally violent conditions across southern parts of the country. Météo-France had placed 16 departments under orange thunderstorm vigilance earlier on Monday before conditions intensified across a broader area.
Why the severe weather matters
The episode demonstrates the localised danger posed by intense thunderstorms even after a period of extreme heat begins to ease. Large hail, sudden strong winds and concentrated rainfall can cause serious damage within minutes, particularly when rotating storm cells develop.
For communities in Aude, the immediate consequences include damaged housing, electricity disruption and the need for structural inspections before residents can safely return to affected properties.
Recovery continues after storms move away
Although the main France storm alert has ended as the most intense thunderstorms moved away, recovery operations are continuing in the worst-hit communities.
Authorities are assessing buildings in Pomas and surrounding areas, while electricity supplies are being restored. Weather conditions will continue to be monitored for further local thunderstorms, but any new warnings will depend on updated forecasts and official vigilance assessments.
