A tornado tore through a village in the Aude region of southwestern France on Monday, injuring 41 people and damaging hundreds of homes, according to authorities. The tornado hit hardest in the village of Pomas, which has a population of about 1,000, where an estimated 300 homes were damaged, some with roofs ripped off.
French authorities had placed the southwest on orange alert for storms, and as the severe weather swept through, numerous areas experienced power outages and travel disruptions. In the Aude department, officials cancelled the third stage of the Vuelta a Espana cycling race, which was being held in the area, after a hailstorm forced riders to take shelter.
Emergency response and injuries
More than 120 emergency workers were deployed to the scene, local authorities said. Fifteen of the injured were taken to hospital, among them a pregnant woman who was hurt when her house collapsed on her, according to her husband, as reported by AFP.
The national weather service, Meteo-France, recorded winds reaching up to 117 kilometers (73 miles) per hour in the nearby village of Arquettes-en-Val, illustrating the storm's intensity.
Transport and power disruptions
The storms across southern France upended the transportation network, delaying trains, forcing road closures, and causing delays and cancellations at airports in Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse and even Paris to the north, said Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot. The extent of the disruption was widespread, impacting both regional travel and major hubs.
Officials estimated that about 2,800 homes were left without electricity across ten villages. The combined effect of the tornado and storms left communities scrambled, though emergency services worked on to address the aftermath.
Context: Tornadoes in France
According to Meteo-France, France sees several dozen tornadoes per year on average. However, the impact of global warming on their frequency and intensity remains unclear, the weather service said, offering a measured overview of a phenomenon that remains comparatively rare but nonetheless devastating.