ASEAN NETWORK NEWS | A powerful storm that swept across several regions of France has left approximately 13,000 households without electricity, with emergency crews continuing recovery efforts following widespread damage.
According to French electricity distribution operator Enedis, the hardest-hit area was Ardèche in southern France, where large hailstones damaged homes, vehicles, and public buildings. In the town of Prades, nearly 95 percent of residential properties were reportedly affected by the intense hailstorm.
The storm also unleashed more than 2,200 lightning strikes across Ardèche within just two hours on Wednesday evening. Several lightning strikes ignited vegetation fires, burning roughly four hectares of land.
Flooding and transportation disruptions were reported in multiple regions. In Sarthe, around 17,000 homes initially lost electricity, although power has since been restored to most customers, leaving about 6,000 households still without service. Meanwhile, approximately 500 homes in Dordogne remain without electricity.
Rail services continue to face delays due to damaged infrastructure and unstable ground conditions, while vineyards in Vaucluse also sustained significant storm-related damage.
French authorities have maintained orange weather alerts for severe thunderstorms in 15 departments, while 31 departments remain under orange alerts for an ongoing heatwave. The severe storm followed weeks of extreme heat that had already triggered drought conditions and increased wildfire risks across the country, compounding the impact on critical infrastructure and transportation networks.
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