Severe July thunderstorms in France cause deaths, widespread damage and power outages
Between July 15 and 17, France experienced a violent storm series that killed two people, toppled trucks with a tornado and triggered extensive fire service activity.
The mid-July weather event produced hail up to seven centimetres in diameter and a tornado that overturned two heavy trucks. More than 600 fire-fighter interventions were recorded, and two fatalities occurred in Haute-Vienne and Isère. The storm also generated intense lightning activity, with thousands of strikes over a two-day period, and left tens of thousands of households without electricity.
Why it matters
The storm shows how climate change can intensify extreme weather, threatening lives and infrastructure.
In this story
thunderstormhailtornadolightningfirefighter interventionspower outagesclimate changeextreme weather
