Severe Thunderstorms Sweep Eastern France, One Fatality and Multiple Injuries Reported
Severe thunderstorms in eastern France on July 20, 2025, resulted in one death and multiple injuries, prompting emergency response actions.
Key Points
- • One fatality and six injuries reported due to severe thunderstorms in eastern France.
- • Orange alerts issued in seven departments for thunderstorms and eight for flooding.
- • Winds reached up to 105 km/h, leading to 130 emergency interventions and power outages for 4,800 residents.
- • Heavy rainfall predicted, with some regions expecting 80 to 100 mm. /
On July 20, 2025, severe thunderstorms wreaked havoc across eastern France, resulting in one death and six injuries due to various incidents linked to the extreme weather. The storms led to the issuance of orange weather alerts for thunderstorms in seven departments and flood warnings in eight others, prompting widespread emergency responses.
Tragically, in Saône-et-Loire, a worker suffered fatal injuries after falling from a five-meter ladder while trying to repair a roof during the storm. Another man was seriously injured in a similar accident, as reported by local firefighters. In Savoie, two individuals were hospitalized following a critical incident when a tree collapsed onto their car while traveling on a departmental road, necessitating their extraction by emergency services.
The extreme weather was characterized by wind gusts reaching up to 105 km/h in the Jura region, which resulted in over 130 emergency interventions and power outages affecting around 4,800 residents. As the storms continued to develop, the Haut-Savoie region received an orange alert starting at 6 PM, predicting heavy rainfall and strong winds. Residents were advised to prepare for possible flooding with accumulated rainfall forecasts varying from 30 to 80 mm across different areas. The prefecture urged the community to adhere to safety recommendations as the storm system progressed into the following morning.
Additionally, the Gard department had already been under an orange alert beginning on July 19, predicting intense thunderstorms with rainfall totals of 80 to 100 mm expected in certain locations, along with wind gusts between 60 to 80 km/h and potential hail. Emergency services remain mobilized across the affected regions, working to restore order and safety in the aftermath of the storms.