Europe weather News

It looked like winter had returned to eastern France after a dramatic storm has buried one town under 60cms of hail and forced homeowners to dig out their snowshovels to clear the streets.

Firefighters were called out more than 100 times after some 60cm of hail fell suddenly on the Vosges’ town of Plombières-les-Bains, while just 40 minutes travel away in Bruyères, 10mm of rain was recorded in six minutes, such was the ferocity of the storm.

Tiles were blown away, cellars flooded and trees were uprooted on to power lines, leaving many homes without power, while tractors helped in the clean-up after the storm had passed.

Thankfully no injuries have been reported.

⛈️ Importante couche de grêle dans les rues de Plombières-les-Bains (Vosges) lors d'un orage ce mardi matin

(📹 Marthe Trahin)https://t.co/gQlKw2bA1c pic.twitter.com/wPG0PBJAOj
— Alexandre (@alex_le_bars) June 29, 2021

Video below shows the heavy hail falling at the time

Orages de grêles dans les Vosges ce matin impressionnant #vosges #orages #plombieres #grêle pic.twitter.com/OuDYxOFyXN
— bailly (@baillydavid88) June 29, 2021

FLASH - A hailstorm overwhelmed the town of Plombières-les-Bains this morning. Paintball-sized hailstones fell, residents had to pull out the snow shovels. (Vosges Morning)

⛈ FLASH - Un orage de grêle a submergé la commune de Plombières-les-Bains ce matin. Des grêlons de taille d'une bille de paintball sont tombés, les habitants ont dû ressortir les pelles à neige. (Vosges Matin) pic.twitter.com/HJw5Wx660d
— Mediavenir (@Mediavenir) June 29, 2021