A tornado swept through a village in southwestern France on Monday, injuring 41 people and damaging hundreds of homes, authorities said.
The tornado struck the village of Pomas in the Aude department, an area with a population of about 1,000 people. Around 300 homes were reportedly damaged, with some buildings losing sections of their roofs.
More than 120 emergency workers were deployed to the area to assist residents and assess the damage. Fifteen people were taken to hospital for treatment.
Among those injured was a pregnant woman who was hurt after her home collapsed, according to her husband.
The severe weather came as authorities placed large parts of southwestern France under an orange storm warning. Several areas experienced power outages, while heavy rain and hail disrupted transport.
In Aude, organisers cancelled the third stage of the Vuelta a España cycling race after a hailstorm swept through the area, forcing riders to seek shelter.
France’s national weather service, Meteo-France, said winds reached speeds of up to 117 kilometres per hour in the nearby village of Arquettes-en-Val.
The storms also caused widespread disruption to the country’s transport network, with train delays, road closures and flight disruptions reported.
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said airports in Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse and Paris were among those affected by delays and cancellations.
Authorities said around 2,800 homes across 10 villages were left without electricity following the storms.
France experiences several dozen tornadoes on average each year. However, Meteo-France said the impact of global warming on the frequency and intensity of tornadoes remains unclear.