Storms hit across France
Flooding, power cuts and damage to property from Aquitaine, to Paris and the Riviera
STORMS have caused heavy damage and black outs in different regions of France.
The latest area to be hit was the Riviera where this morning 14,000 homes were left without power after violent squalls brought down trees and power cables.
Mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi has said he will ask the government to treat the event as a natural disaster. Businesses along the seafront were damaged along with cars, windows and roofs. Some residents thought they had been hit by a tornado.
The storms has led to the cancellation of several TGV services and disruption to flights at Nice Airport.
Over the weekend Aquitaine was struck by storms causing flooding and power outages.
The north of France is also experiencing heavy rain and storms although Météo France has only set orange weather alerts for the Isere, Savoie and Haute Savoie.
Elsewhere over the weekend:
- Homes were set on fire by lighting strikes in the Esson department near Paris.
- 700 people were evacuated from communities near the Tête Rousse glacier after fears that a pocket of water building underneath could burst. (They were allowed back after a survey reassessed the danger).
- 200 people were evacuated from three campsites in the Ardeche during particularly intense storms.
- Homes were flooded and vehicles swept away in Artigues-près-Bordeaux.
