A powerful tornado swept through Pomas in southwestern France on Monday evening, leaving a trail of destruction across the small village and injuring 41 people.
Almost 300 homes were destroyed when the storm ripped apart, trees fell down and cars were destroyed, and 15 of those injured were sent to a hospital for treatment, the local health care workers said.
The tornado hit Pomas, a village of about 1,000 people in the Aude department, around 5 p.m. on August 24.
The tornado developed during a period of severe thunderstorms following a heatwave in southern France. Also in nearby towns, strong winds, heavy rain and hail struck.
Emergency services were quickly brought into the area. No less than 120 firefighters and other emergency personnel were involved in rescue and recovery operations.
Clean-up operations were in place all night to survey damaged buildings and clear roads so residents could return to their homes.
The human impact was huge. At first, 41 people were treated at an emergency gathering point and 15 were sent to hospitals, the authorities said.
One of them, a pregnant woman whose home partially collapsed in the tornado, was protected from falling furniture by a sofa and was brought to hospital, police said.
The material damage across Pomas was extensive. More than 300 houses were affected, including buildings that had lost portions of their roofs or were damaged in some way.
Fallen trees and damaged vehicles were also the cause of damage and inspections of safety were carried out before residents could return to severely affected properties.
A powerful tornado ripped through the village of Pomas in southwestern France, injuring 41 people including 15 hospitalised and damaging roughly 300 homes. 🌪️🇫🇷⚠️#Pomas #France #Tornado #WeatherAlert #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/zo7A7PIq9R
— TheNews21 (@the_news_21) August 25, 2026
The tornado also disrupted electricity and transportation in the whole area. Thousands of homes were hit by power outages, roads and other transport services were disrupted as power outages were caused by the torrential storms.
The stormy weather also forced the cancellation of the third stage of the Vuelta a España cycling race as hail hit the area.
Tornadoes happen in France, but powerful storms of this magnitude are rarely seen in the country. Weather officials recorded wind speeds of up to 117 km/h in nearby locations and video from the region showed the tornado forming in the center of a powerful thunderstorm system.
The residents are beginning to assess the damage but emergency workers continue to secure buildings and restore essential services as they assess the damage and clean up.
The destruction in Pomas just exposed the sudden danger severe storms can pose, even in regions where major tornadoes are relatively few and far between.
