A destructive tornado tore through southern France on Monday afternoon, injuring 26 people and leaving around 100 homes damaged in the Aude department. Five people were taken to hospital after the tornado struck Pomas, a village of around 1,000 people south of Carcassonne, at about 5.20pm.
A pregnant woman was among those injured when part of her home collapsed. Her husband told AFP she was taken to hospital after being trapped beneath a falling wall, while police said she had been protected by a sofa.
Storm warning and damage in Pomas
The tornado hit as Aude was under an orange warning for thunderstorms, with forecasters earlier urging people to avoid the area due to a “threat to human life”. Météo Languedoc warned shortly after 5.15pm: “TORNADO UNDERWAY ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF CARCASSONNE, AUDE (August 24, 5:15 PM). A supercell is producing a destructive tornado in the Aude department. Sustained ground contact is occurring. Avoid the area; this storm poses a threat to human life!”
Around 100 homes were damaged in Pomas, according to the Aude prefecture, with roofs torn from properties and some buildings badly affected. Hailstones measuring up to 3cm to 5cm were also reported in nearby areas.
Emergency response and power cuts
More than 115 firefighters were deployed following the tornado, including 14 urban search and rescue specialists supported by a dog unit, with further reinforcements expected. Gendarmes were due to patrol affected areas throughout the night, while two shelters were opened for residents unable to stay in their homes – one in Pomas and another in Limoux.
Several roads across the department were closed because of fallen trees and to allow emergency services to carry out their work. Around 2,800 homes were without electricity by 7.30pm in a number of communities across Aude, including Fontcouverte, Camplong, Souilhe, Raissac-d'Aude, Fabrezan, Montmaur, Soupex, Ricaud, Montclar and La Pomarède. Power network operator Enedis said teams were working to restore the network as the situation continued to change.
Severe weather and wider disruption
Météo France had placed Aude and several other departments in southwestern France under an orange thunderstorm warning because of the risk of locally severe weather. More than 30mm of rain was recorded in an hour at Castelnaudary between 4pm and 6pm, while wind gusts reached 117km/h at Arquettes-en-Val and 106km/h at Lézignan-Corbières.
The Aude warning was lifted at 7pm. The severe weather also caused disruption to the Vuelta a España, with the third stage abandoned after a hailstorm forced riders to seek shelter less than 20 kilometres from the finish in Font-Romeu, in the neighbouring Pyrénées-Orientales department.
