In brief
A 117‑km/h tornado tore through the village of Pomas in southwestern France, injuring 39 residents and damaging roughly 300 homes. Emergency crews dispatched over 120 workers, while 15 people were taken to hospital, two suffering critical injuries. The storm’s fury also forced the cancellation of a Vuelta a España stage and left 2,800 homes in 10 villages without power. France’s severe weather follows a summer of unprecedented heatwaves and extensive wildfires, underscoring the urgent need for climate resilience measures.
South‑west France faces unprecedented destruction as a tornado swept through the village of Pomas, causing 39 injuries and leaving a quarter of the homes heavily damaged.
Advisers reported wind gusts of 117 kilometers per hour (73 miles per hour) ripping roofs off houses and tearing through homes, with emergency workers rushing to the scene—over 120 personnel were deployed to assist affected residents.
"Half the village has been destroyed," recounted local resident Pierre, describing the tornado as a “huge red and yellow chimney” that even toppled stone structures that have stood for a thousand years.
Hospitals received 15 patients, two of whom are in critical condition, including a pregnant woman whose house collapsed onto her during the storm.
The cyclone also halted the third stage of the Vuelta a España, prompting riders to seek shelter roughly 15 kilometers from the finish line. Two athletes were captured in footage as they discovered the race had been cancelled due to the hailstorm.
France’s national meteorological service Météo‑France issued an orange alert for thunderstorms across large parts of the southwest, a precautionary measure that echoed after a summer of severe heatwaves and forest fires that scorched 42,000 hectares.
Officials reported power outages affecting about 2,800 homes across ten villages, while transport disruptions were noted in Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse and north‑east Paris.
With climate change intensifying weather extremes, this event underscores the growing need for adaptive infrastructure and emergency readiness plans in vulnerable communities.
