A devastating tornado tore through villages in southern France, leaving a trail of destruction and chaos in its wake. The tornado struck the Aude region late on Monday, damaging over 300 homes and injuring 41 people. The extreme weather phenomenon was accompanied by powerful winds, with gusts of up to 117 km/h recorded in the commune of Pomas, home to 1,000 residents.
The tornado’s impact was severe, with many homes having their windows smashed due to the high winds. Shocking social media footage showed the tornado swirling above the village of Verzeille, with dark stormy skies in the background. The local administration reported that 15 of the injured were taken to hospital, while emergency services scrambled to respond to the disaster.
The tornado formed at around 5:20 pm on Monday afternoon, just as the region was placed on orange alert. By 7:30 pm, 2,800 households in the Aude area were still without electricity. Firefighters were quickly deployed to the scene, with over 120 personnel working to make the affected buildings safe.
The tornado’s arrival comes as this summer’s intense heatwave gave way to thunderstorms in many areas of France. The country is facing its driest year on record, with wildfires spreading across the nation throughout the summer. The extreme weather conditions have been exacerbated by Europe’s rapid warming, with temperatures rising at more than twice the global average since the 1980s.
A recent study by the World Weather Attribution group found that human-caused warming made the hot, dry, and windy conditions that fueled the fires at least twice as likely in south-western France and at least 20 times as likely in central Spain. The scientists described these figures as conservative estimates, highlighting the urgent need for action to address the climate crisis.
