Tornado Injures Dozens in France, Damages 300 Homes

A tornado swept through southwestern France on Monday evening, damaging more than 300 homes and injuring dozens of people in the Aude department.

Local authorities reported 39 people injured, including two in critical condition in the village of Pomas. By Tuesday morning, approximately 21,000 households in southern France remained without power, including 1,600 in Aude.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the tornado as exceptionally powerful, saying it had caused particularly severe damage in Pomas.

Social media footage verified by Reuters also showed the tornado over the nearby village of Verzeille. Windows were shattered in many homes in its path.

The tornado struck after intense summer heat in southern France gave way to thunderstorms.

(Reuters, bak)