Article author:
Reuters
Marc Angrand and Benoit Van Overstraeten
PARIS — A violent and unexpected storm hit the French Mediterranean island of Corsica on Thursday, killing at least two people, including a teenage girl. Five people were killed and meteorologists predicted more severe weather to follow.
Hail, heavy rain and 224 km/h (140 mph) winds hit the island. Two of his victims died when trees fell at his campsite.
"A storm formed at sea will affect much of the coast of West Corsica during the night from Thursday to Friday," Meteor France forecasters said.
Those who witnessed the morning storm destroying campsites, delaying trains and uprooting trees said they had never seen anything like this on the island. I said no.
"I have never seen a storm this big. You would think it was a tropical storm," said Cedric Boel, manager of his Corses restaurant Legones in northern Corsica. rocks nearby.
Wildlife photographer Jorhan Nivou, 24, who is staying at a campsite near San He Nikolao in the northeastern part of the island, said the storm had torn the site apart, uprooted trees and destroyed trailers. He said he damaged his house.
"There were no warnings...I don't feel fear. Just a stupor. No one expected this," said Nibault.
"Tornado-like gusts"
Heat waves and severe drought hit many parts of France with several hours of more rain than in recent months combined. The storm intensified as it was seen in
In South Corsica, a 13-year-old girl died after a tree fell on her campsite, and a 72-year-old woman died after her car crashed into a beach house. roof, officials said.
A 46-year-old French man died after a tree fell in his bungalow at a northern campground, officials said. A 23-year-old Italian woman was injured at the same location and was taken to hospital in critical condition.
A fisherman and a canoeist were also killed, officials said.
Meteor France said it was difficult to predict the exact location of the storm and did not give advance warning. He raises the alarm with "immediate effect" as high winds begin to hit the island.
In mainland France, homes were left without power after storms hit the southern Loire and Ain departments, but on Wednesday night in Marseille, streets were flooded and water streams flooded the port city. A video was shared on social media showing that he had fallen down the stairs of
Further north, drought leaves the Loire and is famous for its riverside chateaux, so shallow that even flat-bottomed tourist boats can hardly navigate. (Reporting by Tassilo Hummel, Miriam Rivette, Mathieu Protard, Leiri Folaudi, Marc Angland; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by John Stonestreet and Nick McPhee)
