In Images: Violent storms, floods and strong winds wreak havoc in France
Fierce thunderstorms swept through southwest and northeast France on Thursday, leading to severe floods, evacuations and cutting off power to 17,000 people.
France’s summer weather continued to be one of extremes as scorching temperatures were replaced by violent storms across much of the country on Thursday, with the southwest and northeast of the country bearing the brunt of the severe weather.
In the Occitanie department of Gard in southern France 750 people, including 184 campers, had to be evacuated. Some also had to be taken to hospital for minor wounds and hypothermia.
An elderly German man, who was helping supervise children one of the affected campsites, has been declared missing after being swept away by floodwaters, police said.
⚠️ ALERTE METEO ⚡️?️ #Alerte aux orages: Les orages et les fortes pluies des dernières heures ont causé d'importants ruissellements dans la Vallée de la #Cèze et dans celle de l'#Ardèche. Ces intempéries touchent plusieurs campings d'Aiguèze et de Saint-Julien-de-Peyrolas." pic.twitter.com/ZphMczEAW3
— FranceNews24 (@FranceNews24) August 9, 2018
Up to 240 firefighters were mobilised in the department, as well as four helicopters and many gendarmes and military.
Several months of rain accumulation resulted in very heavy downpours in the southern department, with between 150 to 200 mm of rainfall in the worst affected areas.
#Gard. Des Sarthois évacués après les orages https://t.co/FVYINxNyLv pic.twitter.com/dwUiYEqy6G
— Le Maine Libre.fr (@lemainelibre) August 10, 2018
To put it into context, the average rainfall for five months in Gard is 300 mm.
In Sauze, in neighbouring Ardèche the clouds poured 245 mm of rain on Thursday afternoon and evening, the equivalent of four months of precipitation.
Réveil quelque peu groggy après les orages violents d'hier, 9 août, en #Drome et en #Ardeche. Le point ici : https://t.co/reiJQTVX3q pic.twitter.com/pB0SXEXO7l
— France 3 Rhône-Alpes (@F3Rhone_Alpes) August 10, 2018
Here are some more of the most eye-opening photos, videos and tweets from Thursday’s storms in France:
Focus sur la #cellule #orageuse qui c'est passé hier dans le #Gard en 13h et 17h. ⛈️☔️☂️?️?️?#Selerys #Skydetect #Hailstorm #Granizada #Safetyfirst #Détection #Anticipation #Orages #Grêle pic.twitter.com/8khvoyEcwU
— Skydetect (@skydetect) August 10, 2018
The above tweet shows how stormy weather was particularly severe in the Gard.
L'Ardèche avant/après l'orage. Impressionnant. #Ardèche #Orage #inondations #ardeche pic.twitter.com/OMZ6NFiAW3
— Valentin Guinberteau (@LaComDigitale) August 9, 2018
"Ardèche before and after the storm. Incredible," this tweet reads
Journée la plus électrique depuis le début de l'année, déjà plus de 140 000 éclairs depuis minuit dont environ 13 000 en #Dordogne, 29 000 dans le #Gard et 44 000 en #Ardèche - Ce matin aux Vans (07) : https://t.co/gDYciLXiki (#orage, #foudre) pic.twitter.com/gGpf9WuqY2
— Météo Villes (@Meteovilles) August 9, 2018
"Most electric day since the beginning of the year, already more than 140 000 lightning strikes since midnight of which about 13 000 were in #Dordogne, 29 000 in the #Gard and 44 000 in https://goo.gl/d9XNQ3 -this morning at Vans," reads the tweet by met office Météo Villes.
#EPISODE #CÉVENOL : #Orage intense en cours dans le #Gard à Saint-Ambroix. Pluies diluviennes et rafales de vent à 90 km/h. Dans les #Cévennes ardéchoises, 72 mm sont déjà tombés à #Mayres
> https://t.co/lkhpbZEcRt pic.twitter.com/ooB0IzD3bb
— La Chaîne Météo (@lachainemeteo) August 9, 2018
"Intense storm in progress in the #Gard's Saint-Ambroix. Torrential rains and gusts of wind of 90 km/h. In the #Cévennes Ardèche, 72 mm have already fallen".
Phénomène venteux possible #rafale descendante sous un violent #orage hier dans le #Gard sur la commune de Serviers-et-Labaume près d'Uzès. Vidéo : Nicolas Rochefort / @MeteoLanguedoc pic.twitter.com/0U58mM33Eu
— Météo Languedoc (@MeteoLanguedoc) June 22, 2018
Footage showing just how strong the gusts of wind were on Thursday in Gard.
#Crue éclair de certains cours d’eau secondaires dans l’#Hérault et le #Gard, suite à l’#orage peu mobile qui a déversé 80 à 100 mm en moins de 3h. Ce risque avait été prévu hier soir sur @myMetropolitain pic.twitter.com/FIBt3jjIXp
— Loïc Spadafora (@loicspadafora) June 11, 2018
And so much rain fell that it inevitably resulted in flooding.
Journée #record, année {#record ? ⚡️⚡️
Pour le découvrir, cliquez ici : https://t.co/R25ZPefWUY@meteofrance @MeteoExpress @Meteovilles @lachainemeteo @Meteoalacarte @meteociel #foudre #orage pic.twitter.com/AlSocP65rp
— Météorage (@Meteorage__) August 10, 2018
As the weather above map shows, 2018 is proving to be a record year for lightning strikes in France.
In the Var in France's southern PACA region, storms were also exceptionally violent and heavy rainfall caused floods, as this tweet shows.
La région PACA traversée par une tempête de grêle et des vents violents pic.twitter.com/RIMKknaXjc
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) August 9, 2018
Lightining striking in Bâtie-Neuve commune in the Hautes-Alpes department of southeastern France.
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France’s summer weather continued to be one of extremes as scorching temperatures were replaced by violent storms across much of the country on Thursday, with the southwest and northeast of the country bearing the brunt of the severe weather.
In the Occitanie department of Gard in southern France 750 people, including 184 campers, had to be evacuated. Some also had to be taken to hospital for minor wounds and hypothermia.
An elderly German man, who was helping supervise children one of the affected campsites, has been declared missing after being swept away by floodwaters, police said.
⚠️ ALERTE METEO ⚡️?️ #Alerte aux orages: Les orages et les fortes pluies des dernières heures ont causé d'importants ruissellements dans la Vallée de la #Cèze et dans celle de l'#Ardèche. Ces intempéries touchent plusieurs campings d'Aiguèze et de Saint-Julien-de-Peyrolas." pic.twitter.com/ZphMczEAW3
— FranceNews24 (@FranceNews24) August 9, 2018
Up to 240 firefighters were mobilised in the department, as well as four helicopters and many gendarmes and military.
Several months of rain accumulation resulted in very heavy downpours in the southern department, with between 150 to 200 mm of rainfall in the worst affected areas.
#Gard. Des Sarthois évacués après les orages https://t.co/FVYINxNyLv pic.twitter.com/dwUiYEqy6G
— Le Maine Libre.fr (@lemainelibre) August 10, 2018
To put it into context, the average rainfall for five months in Gard is 300 mm.
In Sauze, in neighbouring Ardèche the clouds poured 245 mm of rain on Thursday afternoon and evening, the equivalent of four months of precipitation.
Réveil quelque peu groggy après les orages violents d'hier, 9 août, en #Drome et en #Ardeche. Le point ici : https://t.co/reiJQTVX3q pic.twitter.com/pB0SXEXO7l
— France 3 Rhône-Alpes (@F3Rhone_Alpes) August 10, 2018
Here are some more of the most eye-opening photos, videos and tweets from Thursday’s storms in France:
Focus sur la #cellule #orageuse qui c'est passé hier dans le #Gard en 13h et 17h. ⛈️☔️☂️?️?️?#Selerys #Skydetect #Hailstorm #Granizada #Safetyfirst #Détection #Anticipation #Orages #Grêle pic.twitter.com/8khvoyEcwU
— Skydetect (@skydetect) August 10, 2018
The above tweet shows how stormy weather was particularly severe in the Gard.
L'Ardèche avant/après l'orage. Impressionnant. #Ardèche #Orage #inondations #ardeche pic.twitter.com/OMZ6NFiAW3
— Valentin Guinberteau (@LaComDigitale) August 9, 2018
"Ardèche before and after the storm. Incredible," this tweet reads
Journée la plus électrique depuis le début de l'année, déjà plus de 140 000 éclairs depuis minuit dont environ 13 000 en #Dordogne, 29 000 dans le #Gard et 44 000 en #Ardèche - Ce matin aux Vans (07) : https://t.co/gDYciLXiki (#orage, #foudre) pic.twitter.com/gGpf9WuqY2
— Météo Villes (@Meteovilles) August 9, 2018
"Most electric day since the beginning of the year, already more than 140 000 lightning strikes since midnight of which about 13 000 were in #Dordogne, 29 000 in the #Gard and 44 000 in https://goo.gl/d9XNQ3 -this morning at Vans," reads the tweet by met office Météo Villes.
#EPISODE #CÉVENOL : #Orage intense en cours dans le #Gard à Saint-Ambroix. Pluies diluviennes et rafales de vent à 90 km/h. Dans les #Cévennes ardéchoises, 72 mm sont déjà tombés à #Mayres
— La Chaîne Météo (@lachainemeteo) August 9, 2018
> https://t.co/lkhpbZEcRt pic.twitter.com/ooB0IzD3bb
"Intense storm in progress in the #Gard's Saint-Ambroix. Torrential rains and gusts of wind of 90 km/h. In the #Cévennes Ardèche, 72 mm have already fallen".
Phénomène venteux possible #rafale descendante sous un violent #orage hier dans le #Gard sur la commune de Serviers-et-Labaume près d'Uzès. Vidéo : Nicolas Rochefort / @MeteoLanguedoc pic.twitter.com/0U58mM33Eu
— Météo Languedoc (@MeteoLanguedoc) June 22, 2018
Footage showing just how strong the gusts of wind were on Thursday in Gard.
#Crue éclair de certains cours d’eau secondaires dans l’#Hérault et le #Gard, suite à l’#orage peu mobile qui a déversé 80 à 100 mm en moins de 3h. Ce risque avait été prévu hier soir sur @myMetropolitain pic.twitter.com/FIBt3jjIXp
— Loïc Spadafora (@loicspadafora) June 11, 2018
And so much rain fell that it inevitably resulted in flooding.
Journée #record, année {#record ? ⚡️⚡️
— Météorage (@Meteorage__) August 10, 2018
Pour le découvrir, cliquez ici : https://t.co/R25ZPefWUY@meteofrance @MeteoExpress @Meteovilles @lachainemeteo @Meteoalacarte @meteociel #foudre #orage pic.twitter.com/AlSocP65rp
As the weather above map shows, 2018 is proving to be a record year for lightning strikes in France.
In the Var in France's southern PACA region, storms were also exceptionally violent and heavy rainfall caused floods, as this tweet shows.
La région PACA traversée par une tempête de grêle et des vents violents pic.twitter.com/RIMKknaXjc
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) August 9, 2018
Lightining striking in Bâtie-Neuve commune in the Hautes-Alpes department of southeastern France.
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