Paris after Floods and 130 km/h Winds, Severe Thunderstorms Leave 2 Dead and 17 Injured in France
Marek Kučera 
On Wednesday, June 25th 2025, violent storms swept across France, killing two people and injuring 17 others, after a searing 42°C heatwave in the southeast triggered widespread atmospheric instability. The dramatic shift from oppressive heat to destructive storms resulted in over 39,000 lightning strikes, torrential rainfall, and damaging winds across the country.
🌪️Deadly Consequences
Two tragic deaths were reported:
- A 12-year-old child in southwestern France was killed by a falling tree during the storm.
- A man in the northwest also died under similar circumstances.
Meanwhile, 17 people were injured, several seriously, as gusts and debris swept through towns and rural areas with little warning.
⚡Paris: Flooding, Chaos, and Hurricane-Force Winds
In the capital, Paris, wind gusts reached up to 130 km/h, downing trees, damaging infrastructure, and causing chaos on the streets. The metro system was flooded, parts of it brought to a standstill. Torrential rain overwhelmed drainage systems, leaving entire streets submerged.
Around 110,000 households lost power, primarily in northern and central France, as electrical systems buckled under the storm’s force.
🌡️From Heat to Havoc
The storms were triggered by an intense dome of heat over southeastern France, where temperatures soared to 40°C, adding moisture and instability to the atmosphere. The result: a violent collision of hot and cool air masses, sparking tens of thousands of lightning strikes and spawning sudden, fast-moving storm cells.
This powerful outbreak serves as another stark reminder of how extreme heat events are increasingly paired with violent storms in a changing European climate.
Illustration picture: https://x.com/Israeli_Sniper/status/1938416998930911404/photo/1
