Key points
- France recorded more than 40,000 lightning strikes and severe storms with hail, rain and wind on June 25, causing significant damage.
- The storm claimed the lives of at least two people, while three more young people were injured as a result of flooding.
- Wind speeds in some areas reached 140 kilometers per hour, which is consistent with a strong winter storm.
France was hit by severe weather on June 25 / Collage by Channel 24
France was hit by terrible storms with hail, heavy rain and gusts of wind on June 25. More than 40,000 lightning strikes were recorded across the country, the highest number in recent memory.
This was reported by Channel 24 , citing La République du Centre and La Chaîne Météo.
How many lightning strikes were recorded over France?
The Keraunos Observatory, which specializes in thunderstorms, explained that the electrical activity observed in France during the day on June 25 was striking in its scale.
Regarding lightning strikes (cloud-to-ground lightning), almost 17,000 were registered, the observatory noted.
According to the global Blitzortung network, the observatory recorded more than 40,392 lightning strikes on June 25. Electrical activity in France peaked between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
The Gironde recorded the most lightning strikes (4,060). The areas most affected were Lacanau (514 strikes), Hourtin (481 strikes) and Carcans (403 strikes). However, the most powerful strike was recorded in Deux-Sèvres.
Lightning recorded in France on June 25 / Photo La Chaîne Météo
2 impacts de foudre simultanés dans le nord des Hauts-de-Seine ce soir au passage du violent orage sur #Paris. pic.twitter.com/pqqo76oEv2
– La Chaine Meteo (@lachainemeteo) June 25, 2025
“Lightning with an intensity of 517 kA struck the commune of La Peyrat. This value is 20 times higher than the average lightning strike observed in other places during the day,” the observatory noted.
A total of 65 French departments were affected on June 25, 2025.
What other bad weather was there in the country?
Forecasters also said that on June 25, a huge storm system formed between the Atlantic coast and central France. Moving northeast, it brought with it destructive gusts of wind.
In Bailleul-le-Soc (Oise), winds of up to 140 kilometers per hour were recorded, and in Montbegne (Allier), up to 135 kilometers per hour, which corresponds to the indicators of a strong winter storm. In Clermont-Ferrand, a gust of 109 kilometers per hour was recorded the night before.
During active storm centers, rainfall was torrential in places. In Berne (Eure), 50 millimeters of precipitation fell in 1 hour, which is equivalent to a month's worth. In Le Bourget (Seine-Saint-Denis), about 25 millimeters of precipitation were recorded.
Hail affected many regions: from Aquitaine to Burgundy, passing through the Centre Val de Loire, sometimes gusts of wind were accompanied by large hail, which damaged crops and vehicles.
Hail seen in France / Photo from Asso Infoclimat account on social network X
Unfortunately, the storm claimed at least two lives. In Mayenne, a driver died after crashing into a tree lying on the road. In Tarn-et-Garonne, a teenager died after a tree fell during a storm.
Three more young people were injured in the flooding in Piquecos, with one girl still in critical condition after the storm.
