A destructive tornado posing a threat to human life swept through an area of southern France popular with British tourists and expats on August 24. The meteorological phenomenon was visible in multiple locations south of Carcassonne in the Aude department, which was under an amber alert for thunderstorms.
Tornado warning issued by Météo Languedoc
The warning issued by Météo Languedoc read: "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!"
Witnesses captured the tornado on camera, with multiple people taking to social media to share footage of the event. Houses were reportedly "completely destroyed" in the Pomas area, a village south of Carcassonne. Hailstones of up to 5cm also hit nearby areas.
Damage and emergency response
A French agency for the prevention of dangers caused by weather phenomena said: "Hailstones several centimeters in size, up to 3 to 5 cm, also hit nearby areas. But it was especially the tornado that caused significant damage, including heavily damaged homes and, according to initial reports, houses completely destroyed in the Pomas area."
Search and rescue teams were reportedly at the scene, with 58 firefighters and 15 gendarmes deployed. The Prefect of Aude warned that the region was going to experience "violent" wind gusts ranging between 90 and 120km/h (56 to 74.5 mph). The amber warning was in place until 7pm local time (6pm BST), with storms arriving from the west and moving across the entirety of Aude.
Intense conditions and rainfall
The phenomena were described as "particularly intense" by the prefect, with rainfall also reaching 70mm/h. Footage shared on social media showed a large grey funnel ripping through the landscape, with damaged rooftops visible on buildings after the tornado struck Pomas.
