A powerful tornado tore through the south-western French village of Pomas, causing significant damage to hundreds of homes and injuring fifteen people, who were taken to hospital.
The extreme weather event also left about 2,800 homes across 10 villages without electricity, according to officials.
Eyewitness footage captured the swirling vortex of the tornado as it loomed over houses and trees. Images from Pomas, the hardest-hit village, showed uprooted trees, damaged cars, and rubble from destroyed homes. The tornado struck on August 24, 2026.
In response to the severe weather, authorities in the Aude department cancelled the third stage of the Vuelta a Espana cycling race, which was scheduled to take place in the affected area. The cancellation followed a hailstorm in the French Pyrenees that had forced riders to seek shelter.
Separately, flight delays and cancellations occurred at several airports across France, including Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse, and airports north of Paris, as reported by Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot.
Tornadoes are not uncommon in France, with the national weather service, Météo-France, reporting dozens of such events annually. This recent tornado follows a summer marked by unprecedented heatwaves and wildfires across Europe, with France's south-western region experiencing significant impact, including one of the largest forest fires since World War Two that burnt an area of 42,000 hectares.