House in France struck by lightning? How to claim

As severe storms have hit the southwest of the country in recent days, lightning strikes may have been on homeowners’ minds.

But if your home is hit by lightning and you wish to claim on your insurance for consequent damage - especially to your electricity wiring - you may be asked to obtain an attestation de foudroiement, which roughly translates as “proof of lightning strike”.

What is it?

An attestation de foudroiement is an official document from forecaster Météo France. It proves that lightning did indeed strike your property on the day you say it did.

Some insurance companies will need this to prove the cause of electrical damage, and action a claim for Dommages Électriques (Electrical Damages).

How does it work?

Météo France uses data from 18 sensors around the country, which can allow it to track precisely how many lightning strikes were detected in a 24 hour period, within a 20 km radius around your commune.

This data comes from the national network company, Météorage.

This enables the forecaster to prove that lightning did indeed strike your property on a given day.

How do you get one?

You must order one from your nearest Météo France centre, either by letter or email, or via the forecaster’s own website here, by creating an account and order in its Services Particuliers (Individual Services) website area.

You will then receive your attestation within five working days, by post or email.

There is a charge of €61 per order.