Hailstones the size of tennis balls fell in southern France, causing deaths and damage
At least two people were killed as a result of powerful storms accompanied by thunderstorms and hail that swept through France on Thursday night. The severe weather hit the country following a prolonged heat wave, prompting authorities to declare an orange (second-highest) alert level in 30 departments.
In the village of Saint-Victourien in central France, a woman was killed when a tree fell on the street. Another victim was the owner of a metalworking shop in the town of Dolomier (Isère department): lightning struck the building, causing a massive fire from which the man was unable to escape.
Storm winds and heavy hail caused significant property damage in many regions:
Power Outages: Approximately 53,000 households were temporarily left without power due to downed power poles.
Destruction in the Southeast: In the Ardèche department, large hailstones the size of tennis balls damaged hundreds of cars, shattered the roofs of residential buildings, and destroyed local vineyards.
Transportation disruption: Trees that had fallen onto the tracks completely blocked rail service between Paris and Toulouse, causing high-speed passenger trains to be delayed by nearly six hours.
The strong winds and hail have now subsided, and the French meteorological service has lifted the storm warning for the southeastern regions of the country.
Source: dpa, France Info, Reuters, “European Truth,” Ukrinform
This was reported by Reuters.
As a reminder, Belgium has recorded a sharp rise in mortality amid a severe heat wave. According to the Sciensano public health institute, the excess mortality rate reached 47%—the highest figure since records began in 2000.
Earlier, average nuclear power generation in France fell below 33 GW, the lowest level in the past nine months, due to the need to limit output at nuclear power plants. The reduction was caused by a critical rise in the temperature of the water in the rivers used to cool the reactors.
