Rare tornado in southern France injures 39 and damages about 300 homes

A rare tornado has caused significant damage in the Aude region of southern France, striking the communes of Pomas and Verzeille on Monday. Authorities said the storm injured 39 people, including two who were in critical condition, and left a trail of destruction across the area. Residents were evacuated while emergency teams assessed the structural safety of buildings.

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Officials said about 300 homes were damaged or destroyed, while 1,400 residences were still without electricity on Tuesday morning. The tornado hit in the late afternoon, according to local reporting cited by authorities, as severe storms moved through the south of the country. Wind speeds were reported to have exceeded 100 km/h, adding to the scale of the damage.

The impact was visible across homes and businesses in the affected communes, with some properties left heavily damaged and others destroyed. One resident described how the family car was shaken by the tornado before they managed to drive away. The evacuation and inspection effort reflected concern about further risks from unstable structures after the storm passed.

The event matters because tornadoes of this kind are unusual in France, particularly when they cause widespread residential damage and injuries. It also came after a period of intense heat in the country gave way to storms in parts of the south, showing how quickly conditions can shift during summer weather extremes. For local authorities, the immediate challenge is restoring power, securing damaged buildings and supporting residents who lost their homes.

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The storm also highlights the vulnerability of smaller communities when severe weather strikes with little warning. Pomas and Verzeille are both in the Aude area, which lies in the southwest of France and was among the places most affected by the tornado. The scale of the damage suggests a substantial recovery effort will be needed, even as officials continue to check the condition of every property in the area.

What remains unclear is the full extent of the damage to infrastructure beyond homes, and whether the number of injured will change as assessments continue. Authorities are still evaluating buildings and restoring services, while residents return to see what can be salvaged. The next developments are likely to focus on the final damage count, the condition of those in critical care and the pace of recovery in the affected communes.

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