Powerful tornado tears through southern France, injuring dozens | Watch

A powerful tornado struck the village of Pomas in southern France's Aude department on Monday at approximately 5:20 p.m. local time, causing widespread destruction and injuring 39 people, 15 of whom required hospitalization with two in critical condition. The storm, with winds reaching 117 kph (73 mph), damaged or destroyed over 300 buildings, including an ancient castle. A resident described the tornado as "a huge red-and-yellow chimney" and stated, "Half the village has been destroyed." Additionally, 21,000 households in southwestern France lost power. While tornadoes are not rare in France, this event follows a summer of record heatwaves and wildfires.