Man swept away in Tarragona floods as violent storms batter Spain and southern France
Floods and hail hit Tarragona while a tornado devastated the village of Pomas in southern France; dozens injured and thousands left without power.
Heavy storms that swept northeastern Spain left streets in Tarragona underwater and carried a man away in rushing floodwater, while violent weather across southern France tore roofs from houses and forced mass evacuations.
In Tarragona, torrential rain and golf-ball–sized hail hit the coastal city; video circulating on social media shows a man being swept along a flooded street and another clip depicts the roof of a shopping centre collapsing under the storm's force. More than 1,000 people called emergency services during the episode.
“The birds had no time to protect themselves and were victims of the severe storm that hit the area with intense rain, strong gusts of wind and lightning,” said a resident of the Tarragona port as dozens of birds were found dead after being struck by hail.
Cross-border fury: storms and a tornado
The same weather system coincided with a tornado that tore through the village of Pomas in southern parts of the Occitanie region on Monday evening, ripping roofs from houses and damaging infrastructure. At least 41 people were injured across the affected areas; among them was a pregnant woman whose home partially collapsed when the tornado passed.
Authorities reported that Pomas bore the brunt of the French impact: about 300 houses were destroyed and 15 people from the village — including the pregnant woman — were taken to hospital. Hundreds of residents lost their homes and nearby tourist facilities were converted into emergency shelters while some 120 emergency workers began clearing and recovery operations.
Transport networks were heavily disrupted: several flights to and from Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse and Paris were cancelled or delayed, and high winds toppled trees and damaged power lines. More than 2,800 homes remained without electricity late Monday night. Météo‑France registered gusts up to 121 km/h in Pézenas, near Montpellier, and issued an orange warning for Corsica forecasting gusts up to 130 km/h as the storm system moved eastward.
Photo: Printskrin od Instagram / info_meteocat
