Ping-pong sized hail hits Toulouse as flooding kills three in southern France
Ping-pong-sized hail bounced off a trampoline in the Toulouse area as deadly flooding struck southern France this week.
Three pensioners died after heavy rains hit the southeastern Var region on Tuesday, where floods caused widespread damage to roads, bridges and buildings in the region.
Dramatic footage from Monday (19 May) shows huge hailstones hitting a garden in Capens.
Flooding has caused significant damage to the Var region in southeast France, causing power outages and damage to train tracks as water surged through the streets.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
8 hours ago
- Reuters
Magnitude 6.6 earthquake strikes off coast of Northern Chile, GFZ says
June 6 (Reuters) - A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck off coast of Northern Chile region on Friday, the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) said. The quake was at a depth of 104 km (64.62 miles), GFZ said.
The Guardian
21 hours ago
- The Guardian
Weather tracker: Fierce thunderstorms and big hailstones hit parts of Europe
This week, large parts of Europe have been affected by a series of intense thunderstorms, bringing torrential rain, damaging winds, and large hail. Central France was particularly badly affected by the severe weather, as powerful storm systems swept south-westward across the country. The departments of Loire and Puy-de-Dôme were among the hardest hit, experiencing significant damage from a particularly violent supercell thunderstorm that produced hailstones measuring up to 6cm in diameter – larger than ping-pong balls. The storm system also generated flash flooding, strong wind gusts, and reports of a localised 'mini-tornado', leaving widespread damage to infrastructure and vehicles in its wake. The storms were fuelled by warm, saturated air rising from the Mediterranean clashing with cooler air descending from northern Europe. This temperature contrast created significant atmospheric instability. Additionally, the orographic influence of the Vosges and Jura mountain ranges probably contributed to storm intensification by enhancing uplift. The powerful supercell formed under conditions of high wind shear, where changes in wind speed and direction with altitude encouraged the development of a rotating updraft. These intense updrafts lifted raindrops high into the atmosphere, where they froze and coalesced into large hailstones before falling to the ground with destructive force. Meanwhile, southern China has once again experienced heavy rainfall, triggering landslides, emergency evacuations, and widespread disruption to transport networks across the region. In Quanzhou County, approximately 300 cubic metres of debris, including soil and large boulders, tumbled down a hillside, blocking a major roadway and bringing traffic to a standstill. In Guilin's Lingui district, rainfall totals exceeded 207mm on Monday alone, highlighting the severity of the ongoing weather system and its impact on the local infrastructure and communities. Canada is currently battling more than 200 active wildfires, primarily across Saskatchewan and Manitoba, with approximately 2.3 million hectares burnt, most within the past week. At least half of these fires are classified as out of control, and have led to widespread evacuations. Thick smoke from the fires has significantly reduced air quality, spreading across a third of the US, and more recently have reached Europe. Hot, dry conditions, intensified by climate change, have been worsening the situation, and are expected to help fuel the fires over the coming days.
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
UK weather: Hail, thunderstorms and strong winds to batter Britain with 50mm of rain in just two hours this weekend
BRITS are bracing for a stormy weekend washout with hail, thunderstorms and strong winds on the cards. Downpours could see 50mm of rain in just two hours on Saturday as June continues to be dominated by low pressure, meaning unsettled weather. 3 3 3 Met Office data shows England had 32.8mm of rain last month, almost half the month's usual average. They have forecast heavier and more frequent showers on Saturday, with hail and thunder possible and some unseasonably strong winds in coastal areas. There could also be a risk of surface-water flooding. From June 1 to June 3 there has already been 10.7mm of rain, a fifth of the 50.9mm recorded for the UK during May. Sunday looks to be drier and the better day of the weekend, before further rain in northern England on Monday. Meteorologist Honor Criswick said the wet weather was because of low pressure. She said: 'At the north of the country this brings in a north-westerly wind, so gradually drags in frontal systems out from the west and south-west, and that leads to some pretty changeable and wet weather at times.' Met Office spokeswoman Andrea Bishop said the weather for the rest of the week would be 'changeable'. She said: 'Generally the theme is the continuation of something a bit cooler, a bit breezy at times, and a bit wet at times too. 'We are keeping an eye on a new front which looks like it will move in on Friday night, bringing rain which could be heavy, and possibly thundery at times on Saturday. Scotland blasted by SNOW as summer starts with chilly temperature plunge – but warmer weather is set to return 'Rainfall totals of 20-30mm are likely in places and, at present, this looks like it will affect the southern half of the UK. We are keeping a close eye on this to see how it evolves over the next 24 hours or so.' Next week temperatures will rise to above average for the time of year, with highs of 25C next Wednesday in London and 23C in Manchester. The National Farmers' Union (NFU) said the change in weather would be welcomed by many farmers. Rachel Hallos, NFU vice president, said: 'After such a dry start to the year, this weekend's rainfall will be welcome in many areas. 'However, heavy downpours aren't the ideal way to restore soil moisture, what farmers really need is steady, consistent rainfall to support crops and grazing without causing run-off or damaging soils. 'These changing weather patterns, from long dry periods to intense bursts of rain, highlight the need for long-term planning and investment in water, particularly the water we need to produce the food we enjoy. 'Things like rainwater harvesting and more flexible abstraction rules are important steps in adapting to these new conditions.' Luke Hindle, duty manager for National Highways, urged drivers to plan journeys carefully. He said: 'Rainfall makes the surface of the road slippery, so increase the gap between yourself and the vehicle in front and keep your eyes on the road at all times as visibility can be reduced.' 5-day weather forecast Today: Early rain in the south and east clearing eastwards on Friday, followed by showers, these perhaps merging to longer spells of rain at times. Sunshine and showers in the north. Feeling cool in the fresh breeze. Tonight: More persistent rain and showers arriving in the west, spreading eastwards into Saturday morning. Clear spells and drier overnight further north. Becoming windy in the southwest by dawn. Saturday: Showers becoming widespread across England and Wales, often heavy and accompanied by hail and thunder. Showers more scattered in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and generally easing from the west later. Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday: A drier day on Sunday, before further rain and showers, mainly in the north, on Monday and Tuesday. Often breezy and feeling rather cool.
