In brief
A violent tornado struck the village of Pomas in south‑west France, injuring 39 people and blowing roofs off hundreds of homes. Emergency crews and 120 firefighters rushed in after winds reached 117 km/h, leaving roughly half the village destroyed. The weather disaster prompted an orange storm alert, power outages for 2,800 homes, and forced the cancellation of a Vuelta a España stage. Residents reported collapsed buildings and a pregnant woman left in critical condition, underscoring the severity of the event.
A tornado tore through the village of Pomas in south‑west France, injuring 39 people and damaging around 300 homes. Eight readers were taken to hospital, two of whom remain in critical condition. One man reported that his pregnant wife was hurt when their house collapsed on her.
More than 120 emergency workers were deployed after winds reached 117 km/h (73 mph), ripping roofs off houses and shattering the village’s infrastructure. "Half the village has been destroyed," said resident Pierre, describing the vortex as a “huge red and yellow chimney.”
The storm forced the cancellation of the third stage of the Vuelta a España cycle race, forcing riders to seek shelter 15 km from the finish line. 2,800 homes across ten villages lost electricity, and flight disruptions affected Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse and the northern suburbs of Paris.
French authorities issued an orange alert for thunderstorms across the south‑west, citing the tornado as part of Europe’s extreme weather pattern that followed intense heatwaves and wildfires. France averages several dozen tornadoes a year, but each event adds a fresh chapter to the country’s weather‑related challenges.
