Floods, hail and… a tornado? Storms lash large swathes of France
The bad weather also saw the Eiffel Tower struck by lightning. It was a dramatic moment one photographer managed to capture
We look at the extreme weather experienced in France over the last couple of days
Kinga Walczak / goodbishop / Shutterstock
Storms lashed large parts of France on Sunday (April 18) bringing high winds, heavy rain, golf ball-sized hailstones and even a suspected mini tornado.
More than 40 departments faced orange warnings - the second-highest level possible.
Paris was particularly affected, with major roads flooded and the Eiffel Tower struck by lightning twice, with the landmark recording winds of 123 km/h at its summit.
In the Seine-Maritime department, parts of the coastal town of Dieppe were flooded while a suspected mini tornado destroyed roofs in Motteville.
The stormy weather is forecast to continue on Monday (June 19) and Tuesday (June 20).
Storm hit Paris hard
Scenes of the storm were dramatic in Paris and the surrounding area on Sunday, as parts of the capital were brought to a standstill.
The N118 national road, leading south out of Paris into the suburbs of Essonne, was completely flooded on some stretches, leading to heavy traffic, whilst some trains leaving Paris’ main terminal stations of Gare du Nord, Gare de Lyon and Gare d’Austerlitz were delayed.
The rumbling arrival of the storm led some to say it looked like a scene of ‘catastrophe’ from a disaster movie:
Heavy rain burst from the clouds, lashing Paris and the surrounding suburbs:
One inflatable swimming pool decided it had had enough, and made for a dramatic escape down the streets of Pontoise, a northern suburb of Paris.
“The swimming pool can drive better than some people,” reads the caption.
The most dramatic scenes by far were at the Eiffel Tower, however, where winds of 123 km/h were recorded.
Proving the old adage wrong, lightning struck the Eiffel Tower not once, but twice, over the weekend.
Read more: Whistlestop weekend in Paris makes perfect ‘memorial tour’ finale
Suspected mini tornado in Normandy; hailstones in the Loire
It was not just Paris that was affected.
The coastal town of Dieppe, Seine-Maritime, saw heavy rainfall leading to flooded roads, including in the town centre.
In the same department, the commune of Motteville saw a ‘mini-tornado’ strike on Sunday afternoon, leading to almost 30 callouts for firefighters in the area.
Trees were felled and roofs damaged by the winds, which also affected the neighbouring communes of Yvetot and Flamandville.
Further south, in the Centre-Val de Loire region, hailstorms affected a number of areas, despite the warm weather.
Read more: Watch: Villagers record ‘almost apocalyptic tornado’ in central France
Hailstones the size of golf balls were seen in the Cher department, as intense rainfall hit the city of Orléans:
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