Three Dead as Thunderstorms Hit Southeastern France

While torrential rains have caused the death of three people in the Var on Tuesday 20 May, urban planner Amandine Richaud-Crambes believes that these extreme events reveal the gaps in the country's adaptation as well as a loss of memory of the natural risk.

At least three people have died, including a couple in their 80s, whose vehicle was swept away by torrential rains after severe thunderstorms hit southeastern France on Tuesday. Heavy rain the day before forced the evacuation of hundreds of passengers from the high-speed TGV train in the middle of the night.

The inhabitants of Lavandou are still in shock in the wake of the terrible weather which has hit the town. The city centre has changed its face. Many streets are covered with mud. The passage of the water has damaged the shops and houses. Many professionals are also affected. It is urgent for the authorities to restore electricity and running water. In the meantime, the town hall distributes bottles. On Wednesday evening, 2,000 homes are still d…

Ping-pong sized hail hits Toulouse as flooding kills three in southern France

Ping-pong-sized hail bounced off a trampoline in the Toulouse area as deadly flooding struck southern France this week. Three pensioners died after heavy rains hit the southeastern Var region on Tuesday, where floods caused widespread damage to roads, bridges and buildings in the region. Dramatic footage from Monday (19 May) shows huge hailstones hitting a garden in Capens. Flooding has caused significant damage to the Var region in southeast Fr…

Is it safe to travel to France? Latest advice after 'truly violent' floods

Three people have died in the floods (Picture: Christophe Simon / AFP) The south of France has been rocked by a series of rainstorms and floods which have killed at least three people. The disaster has been likened to ‘scenes of war’ by the mayor of popular seaside town, Le Lavandou, where an elderly couple died. ‘It was a truly violent, nasty, incomprehensible phenomenon,’ said Gil Bernardi. The flooding has caused widespread damage in the Var …

3 dead as ‘truly violent’ rainstorms turn French holiday hotspot into ‘warzone’

THREE people have died and two people are missing after heavy rains and thunderstorms have battered southern France. The rains have flooded entire streets, causing power and water outages and widespread destruction – as hundreds of rescuers have rushed to the region famous for seeing 300 days of sunshine. ReutersSevere thunderstorms and flooding have caused deaths in the Var region of southern France[/caption] ReutersMuddy floodwaters are seen r…