Hailstones as large as golf balls have pelted French villages as violent thunderstorms swept across parts of Europe, piling onto an already exceptional heatwave gripping the continent.
Thunderstorms are common during and after spells of extreme heat, but the storms hitting countries including France, Germany and Poland have been unusually fierce, bringing flooding, powerful winds and heavy downpours studded with large hailstones.
In south-eastern France, people reported on social media seeing hailstones measuring between 5cm and 7cm across on Wednesday, around the towns of Aubenas, Vals-les-Bains and Lalevade-d’Ardèche. Streets were left under a visible layer of hail, which damaged vehicle windscreens, several buildings and local vineyards.
Alongside the hail, torrential rain and strong winds triggered localised flooding in France and Poland. In the south-western Polish city of Wrocław, roads and tram tracks were shut because of flooding, while strong winds toppled trees onto tram cables. Residents were advised to stay indoors and brace for power cuts. Forecasters expected the storms to dump 30-50mm of rain on France, with heavier totals possible in some areas.
In Asia, meanwhile, heavy rainfall and flooding tied to the monsoon in Bangladesh have killed at least 53 people. The capital, Dhaka, and its surrounding areas have seen more than a week of rain, with severe warnings issued for flooding and landslides. One landslide buried a school in mud and debris last week, killing several schoolgirls and their teacher.
Among the worst-hit areas has been the Cox’s Bazar refugee settlement, where residents were evacuated. The Chattogram district recorded 412.3mm of rain in 24 hours, its highest single-day July total in 42 years. In all, around a million people have been affected and thousands are now sheltering in government facilities. The knee-deep flooding has disrupted travel, cut power and slowed emergency response times. Bangladesh is especially vulnerable to monsoon flooding as a low-lying country crossed by numerous rivers. Further intense downpours and prolonged rain are forecast, raising the risk of more flash flooding and landslides.
