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Video: tornado damages 35 homes in Normandy
‘Sheets of metal were sent flying 100 metres into the air,’ says mayor
A mini-tornado struck near Rouen, Normandy yesterday evening, damaging around 35 homes and leaving almost 100 properties without power.
The tornado struck at around 17:00 in Oissel-sur-Seine (Seine-Maritime), and the nearby Tourville-la-Rivière retail and business park as it moved south-east. They are located around 12 kilometres south of Rouen.
No one was injured despite the damage to homes.
“It lasted 30 seconds… Sheets of metal were sent flying 100 metres into the air. We found them hundreds of metres away, on the properties of neighbours living near the business park,” said Oissel-sur-Seine mayor Stephane Barré to media outlet Ici.
“The residential area hit hardest was the Gaures estate; around 100 houses were affected [by powercuts and/or damage]. One chimney was torn open,” he added.
Three properties saw more severe damage, leading eight people in the commune to voluntarily leave their homes as a precautionary measure. All of them made private alternative accommodation arrangements.
Local authorities spent the evening picking up debris from public roads, including sheet metal and uprooted trees, and power began returning to homes overnight.
Photos/videos of the tornado can be seen below.
🌪️ Vidéo d’un phénomène tourbillonnaire qui a frappé Tourville-la-Rivière en fin de journée.
— Météo76 (@meteo_76) September 30, 2026
Crédit : Marley IIian Pressyl pic.twitter.com/Hg1WF1GAoS
Tornadoes are rare in France but can happen throughout the year
Tornadoes are a rare but possible phenomenon in France, and can happen throughout the year. Indeed, two other mini-tornadoes were reported in the Gard department yesterday as storms hit the south of France.
Several weather conditions can contribute to the formation of a tornado, but the most common are from low-level and higher altitude winds travelling in opposite directions, causing wind shear and making clouds rotate quickly. These appear more commonly during thunderstorms.
Normandy is one of the areas in France most prone to tornadoes, due to its flat terrain and the likelihood of unsettled and stormy weather throughout the year.
The Seine-Maritime department was facing tier-two yellow storms yesterday, when the tornado hit.
