A powerful tornado tore through southwestern France on Monday, causing severe damage and transport chaos across the region. The storm hit several communes in the Aude, with the village of Pomas, located south of Carcassonne, being the hardest hit.
The tornado ripped roofs from buildings and damaged about 300 homes in Pomas. Authorities reported that 41 people were injured, with 15 of those individuals taken to the hospital.
French authorities had previously placed swathes of the southwest on orange alert for storms. Meteo-France recorded wind gusts reaching up to 117 kilometers (73 miles) per hour. The severe weather also uprooted trees and caused power outages, forcing officials to cancel a Vuelta a Espana cycling stage.