A violent tornado tore through the northern suburbs of Paris on Monday, leaving a trail of destruction in the communes of Éragny and Érmont just northwest of the French capital. The rare and powerful weather event has caused significant structural damage and multiple injuries, sending emergency services scrambling across the affected region.
Scene of Devastation
Witnesses described terrifying scenes as the tornado touched down during the late afternoon, uprooting trees, tearing roofs from buildings, and scattering debris across residential streets. The force of the twister was strong enough to flip vehicles and damage critical infrastructure, with power outages reported across multiple neighbourhoods.
Local resident Marie Dubois recounted the moment the storm hit: "The sky turned an eerie green colour, and within minutes, we heard what sounded like a freight train approaching. We barely made it to the basement before windows started shattering."
Emergency Response Mobilised
Firefighters and emergency medical teams have been deployed en masse to the affected areas, conducting door-to-door checks and treating the injured. The precise number of casualties remains unclear, though authorities confirm several people have been hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries.
Local schools and community centres have been opened as temporary shelters for residents whose homes have been rendered uninhabitable by the storm's fury. The French weather service Météo-France has issued ongoing severe weather warnings for the broader Île-de-France region.
Rare Meteorological Event
While tornadoes in France are relatively uncommon compared to other regions, this event highlights the increasing frequency of extreme weather phenomena affecting Western Europe. Meteorologists are studying the conditions that led to this particularly destructive tornado formation so close to a major urban centre.
Clean-up operations are expected to continue throughout the week as residents and authorities begin assessing the full extent of the damage and the long road to recovery ahead.
