Two dead and a dozen injured after violent storms hit France
After an early June heatwave broke, storms lashed much of France on Wednesday, bringing a trial of destruction and two deaths.
A 12-year-old boy died near Montauban in south-west France after being hit by a falling tree, while in Mayenne a 59-year-old man died when his quad bike hit a tree that had fallen onto the road.
At least 17 other serious injuries were reported, with one person in a critical condition, including an inhabitant of Dordogne who was hit by a falling roof tile.
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Around 100,000 households were without power on Thursday morning, most in the south-east of the country.
The storms left a trial of destruction with numerous sites closed on Thursday while repairs are ongoing, including the Paris zoo which is dealing with fallen trees around its site.
There are some disruptions on the railways on Thursday, several Paris Metro stations were closed on Wednesday evening due to flash flooding, but all have reopened on Thursday.
Across the country winds of up to 120km/h were reported, while hailstorms also struck - in the Pays Basque
locals photographe
d "hailstones the size of pigeon eggs".
In the capital, the sky turned an eerie yellow hue as lightning flashed above the Sacre-Coeur cathedral and fierce winds sent Parisians rushing for cover.
And rain leaked through the roof of the lower house of parliament, forcing lawmakers to suspend talks on conflict in the Middle East.
"It's raining in the chamber... I repeat: it's raining in the chamber," wrote MP Maud Petit on her X account.
The storms followed a sweltering heatwave with temperatures passing 35C.
More extreme heat is expected over the weekend and into early next week.
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Local France
10 hours ago
- Local France
Two dead and a dozen injured after violent storms hit France
After an early June heatwave broke, storms lashed much of France on Wednesday, bringing a trial of destruction and two deaths. A 12-year-old boy died near Montauban in south-west France after being hit by a falling tree, while in Mayenne a 59-year-old man died when his quad bike hit a tree that had fallen onto the road. At least 17 other serious injuries were reported, with one person in a critical condition, including an inhabitant of Dordogne who was hit by a falling roof tile. Advertisement Around 100,000 households were without power on Thursday morning, most in the south-east of the country. The storms left a trial of destruction with numerous sites closed on Thursday while repairs are ongoing, including the Paris zoo which is dealing with fallen trees around its site. There are some disruptions on the railways on Thursday, several Paris Metro stations were closed on Wednesday evening due to flash flooding, but all have reopened on Thursday. Across the country winds of up to 120km/h were reported, while hailstorms also struck - in the Pays Basque locals photographe d "hailstones the size of pigeon eggs". In the capital, the sky turned an eerie yellow hue as lightning flashed above the Sacre-Coeur cathedral and fierce winds sent Parisians rushing for cover. And rain leaked through the roof of the lower house of parliament, forcing lawmakers to suspend talks on conflict in the Middle East. "It's raining in the chamber... I repeat: it's raining in the chamber," wrote MP Maud Petit on her X account. The storms followed a sweltering heatwave with temperatures passing 35C. More extreme heat is expected over the weekend and into early next week.
LeMonde
14 hours ago
- LeMonde
Severe storms in France kill, injure and destroy property
Two people, including a child, died in a violent storm that lashed France overnight, emergency services said on Thursday, June 26. The violent downpour late Wednesday injured 17 others, one seriously, France's emergency services added. In southern France, a falling tree killed a 12-year-old boy, while a man on a quad bike died after crashing into another that had been brought down by the storm. In the capital, the sky turned an eerie yellow hue as lightning flashed above the Sacré-Cœur cathedral and fierce winds sent Parisians rushing for cover. Meanwhile, rain leaked through the roof of the Assemblée Nationale, forcing lawmakers to suspend talks on conflict in the Middle East. "It's raining in the chamber (...) I repeat: it's raining in the chamber," wrote MP Maud Petit on her X account. The storms followed a sweltering heatwave with temperatures passing 35°C. It brought gusts of wind exceeding 100 kilometers per hour, which damaged property. More extreme heat is expected over the weekend and into early next week. Nearly 100,000 homes were still left without electricity on Thursday, mainly in central France, emergency services said. "Trees blocking roads, damage to infrastructure and homes, flooding and power outages have been reported," it said.
Local France
7 days ago
- Local France
Paris makes clean water bet for River Seine bathers
Weather permitting, Parisians and tourists will be able to dive into dedicated sections of the river from July 5th, according to authorities. The public will be able to access three bathing sites at bras Marie in the heart of the historic centre, the Grenelle district in the west of Paris, as well as Bercy in the east. Last year, water treatment stations, holding tanks and connections to the Parisian boat sanitation system were installed. 'For the Games, we cleaned up three quarters of the Seine. And the water was 100 percent ready for bathing on dry days,' said Marc Guillaume, prefect for the Ile-de-France region that includes Paris. According to Guillaume, the top state-appointed official for the region, the new bathing zones will be popular. This year, the weather is predicted to be drier than the record rainfall during the Games, which had led to the cancellation of six of the 11 competitions held on the river. 'It was an extraordinary moment (in 2024), but swimming during the Games was not an end in itself,' Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo told reporters in May. 'Making the Seine swimmable is first and foremost a response to the objective of adapting to climate change, but also of quality of life,' she added. Last year, Hidalgo dove into the Seine in front of journalists from around the world before the Games began. The historic swim signalled the end of years of efforts to clean the Seine and the river which flows into it, the Marne. Work had started in the 1990s, with an initial investment of more than €9billion from the greater Paris sanitation authorities. Advertisement Following initial efforts, the 'bathing plan' leading up to the 2024 Paris Games was launched in 2016. The French state and local authorities had invested another €1.4 billion. The plan was focused on preventing the city's waste waters from flowing into the Seine. The mid-19th century Parisian sewage system often overflows on rainy days, causing rain and waste water to pour into the river. Flags will inform bathers about pollution levels in the water every day, and if it rains the sites will likely close on the day after, said Paris city official Pierre Rabadan. 'We're not tossing a coin, we're relying on scientific data,' he said, adding that – contrary to some reports at the time – no athlete had fallen ill after swimming in the river last summer. The presence of the fecal bacteria escherichia coli (E. coli) and enterococci in the Seine will be assessed daily using live sensors and samples. According to the association France Nature Environment Ile-de-France, however, the planned tests are 'insufficient'. There are 'many viruses which cannot be tested for' in the Seine, said honorary president of the association Michel Riottot. Advertisement Swallowing too much water from the river could lead a person to catch hepatitis, gastroenteritis or skin diseases, former research engineer Riottot told AFP. Chemical pollution will not be measured either, added Riottot. 'If there is occasional pollution upstream, we will be informed, so we will be able to take necessary measures,' Rabadan insisted. The number of species of fish in the Seine increased from four in 1970 to thirty-six reported in February – a sign that water sanitation has improved over the years. In early June, the Paris City Council gave legal rights and a personhood status to the Seine to protect its fragile ecosystem, as part of a global movement to grant legal personhood to nature.
