In brief
On 24 August 2026 a tornado tore through the village of Pomas, injuring 39 people and affecting over 300 homes. Winds reached 117 km/h, causing roofs to be torn off and resulting in a critical‑condition hospitalization. The incident disrupted the third stage of the Vuelta a España and left roughly 2,800 houses without electricity across ten villages. France’s Mediterranean region, already battered by heatwaves and wildfires, remains in emergency mode amid ongoing severe weather alerts.
A violent tornado hit the village of Pomas in the Aude department of south‑west France on 24 August 2026. Wind speeds were reported at 117 km/h as the rotating column tore through the settlement, knocking roofs off dozens of homes, uprooting trees and creating a severe storm surge.
Authorities reported 39 injuries, including 15 cases that required hospital treatment and two others in critical condition. A resident recounted that a house had collapsed on a pregnant wife, underscoring the human toll of the disaster.
The storm forced the cancellation of stage 3 of the Vuelta a España, which was underway in the region. The race’s riders had to seek shelter in nearby hotels as the hail and wind forced a change of plans.
Power outages affected about 2,800 homes across ten villages, while transportation disruptions were reported in Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse and north‑east Paris. French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot noted that the region has historically experienced several dozen tornadoes each year, but this event was unusually severe.
The disaster follows a series of extreme weather events, including last summer’s heatwaves and large forest fires that killed thousands of hectares of woodland in the Mediterranean basin. Authorities have issued an orange alert for thunderstorms in southern France amid continuing warnings of severe weather.
Residents are urged to stay alert and cooperate with emergency services, and the local government continues to coordinate recovery efforts and support for affected families.
