Tornado in southern France injures dozens and damages hundreds of homes
A rare tornado tore through the village of Pomas in southern France, injuring dozens and damaging hundreds of homes, with two people critically hurt.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A rare and intense tornado struck the village of Pomas in southern France on Tuesday evening, injuring dozens of people and damaging hundreds of homes. The twister, which formed suddenly, tore through the area near Carcassonne with winds of up to 73 mph (117 km/h), leaving a trail of destruction.
Residents described the terrifying moments as the tornado hit. One person said: "We were lying under the table. There was nothing else we could do." Another recalled: "I saw roofs being blown away from houses. They were injured and everyone had to take shelter." The storm ripped roofs off homes, uprooted trees, overturned cars, and reduced some buildings to rubble.
Emergency services reported 39 people injured, with two in a critical condition and around 15 taken to hospital. More than 300 homes were damaged, and many residents were evacuated as buildings became unsafe. The village hall was turned into a refuge, while town halls, themselves damaged, served as temporary hospitals and shelters for those who could not stay in their homes.
The tornado also caused wider disruption. A cycle race passing through the region was halted when a hailstorm forced riders to seek shelter. Flights from Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, and Toulouse were suspended as storms swept across the area.
As southern France begins to assess the damage, questions have been raised about the role of climate change. One expert noted that while large-scale events like heatwaves and floods are easier to link to climate change, tornadoes are small-scale phenomena that occur more from natural variability. "Something like this just can't really be connected to climate change," he said. The village of Pomas now faces a long road to recovery.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | ITV |
|---|---|---|---|
| A tornado injured around 40 people and damaged hundreds of buildings. | · | ||
| The tornado damaged hundreds of buildings, including more than 300 homes. | · | ||
| Wind speeds during the tornado exceeded 100 kilometres per hour. | · | ||
| Around 15 people were taken to hospital. | · | · | |
| Flights from several French cities, including Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice and Toulouse, were suspended due to storms. | · | · | |
| Town halls were turned into temporary hospitals and shelters. | · | · | |
| Two people were in a critical condition in hospital after the tornado. | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News focused on the dramatic footage and the broader transport disruption, including flight suspensions. It gave a concise overview of the tornado's impact but did not provide the same level of detail on casualties or the village name, which it misidentified as 'Pommes-Meux'.
- “It's a tornado which has torn through a village in southern France. Quite incredible. It injured more than 40 people and damaged hundreds of buildings.”
- “The swirling wind reached over 100 kilometres per hour as it passed through the village of Pommes-Meux region, ripping roofs off homes.”
- “A cycle race passing through the area, the Val de España, was halted when a hailstorm forced riders to seek shelter.”
ITV1 provided a detailed on-the-ground report with resident accounts, emphasising the human impact and the broader context of extreme weather in Europe. It highlighted the critical condition of two people and the scale of home damage, and included a resident's vivid description of the terror.
- “Dozens of people have been injured and more than 300 homes are damaged after a tornado swept through a small village in southwestern France.”
- “We were lying under the table. There was nothing else we could do.”
- “2026 has seen heat, fires, and now tornadoes in Europe. And that's just summer so far.”
5 News gave the most detailed statistical breakdown, including exact injury numbers and wind speed, and included an expert analysis on the link to climate change. It also highlighted the rescue and recovery efforts, and the fact that no one died, offering a more measured and analytical tone.
- “It's damaged 300 homes and left 39 people injured, though thankfully no-one has died.”
- “The swirling column of wind grew above the rooftops before ripping into the village at speeds of up to 73mph.”
- “If we talk about these large-scale phenomena, you know, heat waves, wide-scale floods, hurricanes, it's easier to link climate change.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.