France records deadliest tornado since 2008 near Paris

A rare and powerful tornado hit several towns in north Paris, causing widespread destruction, toppling construction cranes, ripping roofs from buildings, and leaving over 1,500 homes without power.

Besides infrastructure damage, the tornado took the life of a 23-year-old construction worker and injured nine others. Among them, four are in critical situations.

The hardest hit is the town of Ermont which is located around 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the French capital.

Around 5:45 p.m., the tornado gained maximum strength and collapsed three large construction cranes in a matter of seconds.

The Pontoise prosecutor’s office stated that the construction worker who died was hit by one of those falling cranes at the construction site.

The storm also damaged a medical and social institution, however, no casualties were reported there.

Responding to the devastation, emergency services launched an immediate operation.

With a team of over 150 firefighters, paramedics, and police officers, around 700 emergency calls were responded.

Additionally, dozens of residents have been evacuated from damaged homes and shifted to temporary shelter in the local gymnasium.

In an official statement, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described the event as a “sudden and unusually intense tornado.”

Meteorologists labelled the tornado as an EF2 or stronger making it France’s deadliest tornado since 2008.

Tornadoes are highly uncommon in France, however, few hit a few times a year usually in the northern regions.

To stay safe, authorities have warned residents to avoid wooded or damaged areas and to stay clear of downed power lines as recovery operations continue.