6 cm Hail hit Normandy, France

Severe Hailstorm Strikes Argentan, France with 6 cm Hailstones

Argentan, Basse-Normandie, France — On Friday, 13 June 2025, a severe hailstorm impacted the area surrounding Argentan (48.75°N, 0.02°W), bringing with it very large hailstones measuring up to 6 cm in diameter, confirmed by multiple eyewitness reports, photos, and video documentation.

The event occurred around 16:00 UTC (±5 minutes) and was later verified and catalogued in the European Severe Weather Database (ESWD) as a QC1-level confirmed report, indicating reliable sourcing and documentation.

According to a post by Météo Express on Facebook, hailstones ranging between 5.5 to 6 cm in diameter were observed. This size of hail is capable of significant damage, including to vehicles, roofing, windows, and crops. However, as of now, no official information regarding injuries or extensive structural damage has been reported.

Large hail of this size is relatively rare in France, especially outside of the most convectively active regions. The report underscores growing concerns about severe weather frequency in Western Europe as warmer and more humid summers intensify storm potential.

📸 Photographic evidence of the hailstones can be seen in the original post here:
🔗 Météo Express Facebook Post

🔎 Report Details

📍 Location: Argentan, Basse-Normandie, France
📅 Date: 13 June 2025 (Friday)
⏰ Time: ~16:00 UTC
🌨️ Phenomenon: Large hail
🧊 Max. Hail Diameter: 6 cm
📷 Source: Photo/video, eyewitness, online report
✅ Status: Confirmed (QC1)
📞 Contact: Thilo Kühne (ESWD/ESSL)

Authorities and meteorological services are continuing to monitor conditions as France remains in a period of elevated convective activity, with further storm outbreaks possible in the days ahead.