Tornado Injures 41, Damages Hundreds of Homes in French Village

A powerful tornado tore through the village of Pomas in southwestern France, leaving 41 people injured and damaging approximately 300 homes. The severe weather event prompted authorities to issue an orange alert for storms in parts of the region, leading to widespread power outages and significant traffic disruptions.

Emergency services, numbering over 120 personnel, were dispatched to the hardest-hit village of Pomas, which has a population of 1,000. Among the injured was a pregnant woman who was hurt when her house collapsed. Winds in the vicinity reached speeds of up to 117 kilometers per hour, according to Meteo-France.

The storms across southern France also caused considerable disruption to transportation networks. Train services were delayed, roads were closed, and flights were affected at airports in Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse, and even Paris. Around 2,800 homes were left without electricity in ten villages.

France typically experiences several dozen tornadoes annually, though the impact of global warming on their frequency and intensity remains unclear, according to Meteo-France.

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Fifteen injured were transported to the hospital. Among them is a pregnant woman who was injured when her house collapsed.