See: Large hailstones swamp south-west France

Weekend thunderstorms brought intense hail, flooding and disruption across parts of south-west France, with Pyrénées-Atlantiques among the most affected areas after a sharp change in weather conditions on Saturday, May 2. 

Hailstones across Pau and surrounding villages

Images shared on social media showed dense showers of hail falling over Pau and nearby communes, including Ousse, where stones were reported at more than 3cm in diameter.

A number of videos showed gardens under a rapid build-up of ice, while outdoor furniture, paths and roads were briefly obscured. The intensity of the showers gave several areas the appearance of winter conditions despite early May temperatures.

To the east, in Hautes-Pyrénées, the village of Andrest was hit by a short but violent storm combining hail, heavy rain and wind around 18:00. Local media reports described rapid rainfall totals and hail accumulation “like snow” in streets and open areas.

The episode caused flooding in garages and cellars, damage to roofs, and multiple fallen trees. Firefighters carried out several interventions linked to water ingress and storm damage across the department.

No injuries were reported.

Elsewhere in the region, heavy downpours triggered localised flooding and temporary disruption to roads. Météo-France had placed dozens of departments on yellow alert over the weekend as the storm system moved across the country following a period of unusually warm weather.

By Monday, the hail and storms had subsided, however a cold front is set to bring persistent rainfall across several areas this week.