Violent storms halt train services in south-west France
and hail
hit parts of south-west France on Monday evening, with over 100mm of rainfall - the equivalent of a month and a half of rain in six hours - recorded in Montauban, according to
Franceinfo
.
The storms caused flooding, downed trees, and resulted in travel chaos. One TGV train from Paris to Toulouse was stranded on the flooded tracks for over three hours, with hundreds of passengers eventually evacuated at 11pm.
While the area was no longer on any weather warning on Tuesday morning, knock-on effects were still visible.
Travel disruption
The French press reported that trains will not run between Bordeaux and Toulouse on Tuesday, and potentially not for several days. This means that the Paris to Toulouse line will also be closed until further notice.
If you are concerned that your travel plans might be affected, check the status of your train on the
SNCF website.
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The regional Intercités line between Bordeaux and Marseille was also closed, Franceinfo reported. Local TER services were suspended 'for several days' between Marmande and Agen, and then between Agen and Montauban (until at least Tuesday early afternoon).
Meanwhile, bus services were also affected. Local authorities in the Tarn-et-Garonne département suspended all regional 'Lio' bus lines on Tuesday.
Some roads were flooded and closed, like the RD 49 in the Lavaur-Fiac area (in Tarn).
Schools in certain areas were also expected to remain closed on Tuesday due to weather damage, such as the collège in Fousseret (Pins-Justaret), as well as primary and maternelle (nursery) schools in Lacroix-Falgarde in Lauragais.
In the Tarn département, firefighters reported receiving over 300 calls and carried out around 60 interventions, including rescuing a person who had walked onto a flooded road.
As of Tuesday morning, no injuries or deaths had been reported.
⛈️ Un déluge de pluie et de grêle s'abat sur Lautrec dans le Tarn, au passage d'un orage de nature supercellulaire ! (© Lautrec Tourisme)
pic.twitter.com/6dEPlc9rgC
— Météo Express (@MeteoExpress)
May 19, 2025
⛈️ Un orage supercellulaire produit de fortes chutes de grêle dans le département du Tarn, ici sur la commune de Puylaurens. (© Isabelle Stefani)
pic.twitter.com/AvpH83SONg
— Météo Express (@MeteoExpress)
May 19, 2025
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