Fierce thunderstorms and hailstorms around France left one woman dead and 14 people injured, ravaged vineyards and delayed flights. Lightning hit the Eiffel Tower, without causing damage, and set roofs on fire east of Paris, according to local authorities.
Residents of south-west France posted photos online of hail the size of tennis balls, and drivers in the Paris region shared images of flooded highways and daytime skies blackened by thunder clouds. Thousands of households remained without electricity on Sunday after the storms struck across France on Saturday, according to utility Enedis.
Flights out of Paris’s Orly Airport were temporarily suspended on Saturday, and there were delays at Charles de Gaulle Airport. A woman swept away by flooding was found dead under a car in the historic Normandy city of Rouen, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin tweeted. The circumstances of her death were unclear.
In the Loire Valley, thousands of young people who were taking part in a huge Scout gathering had to take refuge in the Chateau of Chambord as hail, thunder and lightning pounded the area. The chateau director told public broadcaster France-Info that some children were treated for signs of hypothermia but no serious injuries were reported.
Rain also lashed Normandy beaches as veterans and others gathered for the 78th anniversary of the Second World War D-Day invasion against the Nazis.
