Hail storm batters south-west France

EMERGENCY services were flooded with calls on Saturday as hail stones up to an inch wide battered parts of south-west France.

The storm began over the Pays Basque and spread towards the Landes. In Biarritz, eyewitnesses reported 10 minutes of non-stop hail and in Dax alone the emergency services received 70 calls for help.

Facebook and Twitter users posted some impressive photos of the sudden hail storm and the aftermath.

“@laurentzegre: Petite tempête de grêle à #Biarritz. Légère... pic.twitter.com/OKdYeYZ6kS”

Bonjour les dégâts !— TheRealPeggy Ganong (@SkepBy) 18 Avril 2015

Heavy rain continued across parts of Aquitaine into the evening, with more stormy weather forecast on Sunday in the Languedoc-Roussillon, southern parts of the massif Central, the Rhône valley and northern parts of the Paca region.