A rare and powerful tornado swept through southwestern France late Monday, leaving dozens of people injured and causing extensive damage to hundreds of homes in the Aude department.
The village of Pomas, located between Carcassonne and Limoux and home to roughly 1,000 people, was among the areas hardest hit. French authorities said around 300 homes were damaged as the tornado tore through the community, ripping roofs from buildings, uprooting trees and scattering debris across streets.
Authorities reported 39 people injured, including two in critical condition. Emergency crews continued searching and inspecting damaged properties on Tuesday, while residents were evacuated as officials assessed whether buildings remained safe to occupy.
More than 120 emergency personnel were deployed during the response, while temporary accommodation was arranged for residents unable to return home. The severe weather also disrupted electricity supplies, with thousands of households across southern France experiencing outages.
Videos verified by Reuters showed a large funnel moving through nearby Verzeille as the storm crossed the region. France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the tornado as being of “rare intensity” and said Pomas had suffered severe damage.
The tornado arrived as an intense summer heatwave gave way to thunderstorms across parts of southern France. Several areas of the southwest had already been placed under an orange weather alert, while storms caused additional transport and power disruptions across the region.
Although France records several dozen tornadoes in an average year, most are relatively weak. The scale of destruction in Pomas therefore makes Monday’s event particularly unusual, underscoring the danger posed by rapidly developing severe thunderstorms.
Authorities are now focused on securing damaged buildings, restoring electricity and providing shelter to displaced residents as assessments continue across the affected communities.
