Storms in Northern France Cause Significant Damage in Several Départements

Paris – 29.06.2026: On the night of Saturday, June 27, to Sunday, June 28, 2026, a series of severe thunderstorms swept across northern France, causing significant damage in several départements. The Nord-Pas-de-Calais region was particularly affected, where firefighters responded to a total of 405 emergency calls. The main causes for the alarms were fallen trees, flooded roads, and trapped individuals. Two people sustained minor injuries during the storms. In Maubeuge, 30 millimeters of rain fell within just one hour, representing 15 times the usual precipitation for that period. Simultaneously, wind gusts reached speeds of 104 kilometers per hour in Saint-Hilaire-sur-Helpe.

The thunderstorms also caused major disturbances in the départements of Aisne, Oise, Pas-de-Calais, and Somme. In Aisne, for example, a lightning strike sparked several fires, including one in Laon where five people suffered minor injuries. Wind gusts there also exceeded 100 km/h. In the Somme département, organizers of the open-air festival Retro C Trop, which had about 2,900 attendees, evacuated the site overnight for safety reasons. Despite property damage caused by fallen trees, there were no reported injuries at the festival.

Already on Saturday, Météo-France issued an orange weather warning for the five affected départements, valid from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. The forecast predicted strong to locally very severe thunderstorms with heavy rain (30 to 50 mm), hail, and wind gusts up to 100 km/h. These forecasts were fully confirmed. Overall, weather services recorded more than 127,000 lightning strikes across France during the night.

The prefectures of the affected regions urged the public to exercise caution and to strictly follow the instructions of emergency responders. Efforts are currently focused on clearing the damage and supporting the impacted communities. It is also recommended to continue monitoring local news and to take warnings seriously, as further severe weather cannot be ruled out at short notice. Vehicle and home owners are especially advised to report damages to enable rapid assistance.

Besides the direct consequences of the storm, the event has also sparked debates on dealing with extreme weather events and the necessary preventive measures in the severely affected départements. Experts emphasize that such storms could become more frequent due to climate change, highlighting the need to review and adapt infrastructure and emergency plans. Authorities announced they will closely monitor the situation in the coming days to quickly respond to any additional weather hazards.