Stormy weather to continue as freak hailstorms hit

Forecaster Météo France has warned of a “persistent and active thunderstorm situation” well into the afternoon today (Sunday May 27) and beyond.

This would apply especially to the foothills of the Pyrénées, in Auvergne and the Rhône-Alpes, as well as the Rhône valley and the Hauts-de-France, Météo France said.

Most of the country is on “yellow warning” - apart from Corsica and the western coast - with residents warned to be “alert”, especially if taking part in outdoors activities.

The warning comes after freak weather patterns across the country in recent days.

In Bordeaux and the surrounding area on Saturday (May 26), the streets were hit by a violent hailstorm, covering roads and gardens in ice and snow-covered water in just a few minutes.

Trams and cars were temporarily forced to stop running after flash flooding made circulation difficult, and temperatures dropped sharply from around 27°C to 11°C in just a few minutes.

The pompiers were inundated with calls as some residents reported flooding in their houses and sudden electricity outages.

Local crops and vines were also affected, with a Gironde vineyard reporting significant damage to vines.

Blue skies and sun returned to the area after the storm, with the hailstorm continuing north.

In Paris, a shock hailstorm and heavy rain earlier in the week caused metro stations to flood and roads to look more like rivers.

Similarly, as far south as Bonnieux in the Vaucluse (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur), just 15 minutes of heavy hail and rain this week managed to ruin almost a year’s worth of Luberon cherry tree crops.