93,000 lightning strikes during thunderstorms: hail and heavy rain hit several regions of France

Paris – 16 July 2026: After an exceptionally stormy night and an unsettled Wednesday, severe thunderstorms are once again moving across parts of France. According to the weather service, around 93,000 lightning strikes were recorded across the country on 15 July, including approximately 13,300 cloud-to-ground strikes. The storm fronts caused considerable local damage, flooded transport routes, and difficult conditions for emergency responders and road users.

Western regions, as well as central and eastern parts of the country, were particularly affected on Wednesday. Electrical activity was concentrated, among other places, in Pays de la Loire and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. In Maine-et-Loire, 762 lightning strikes were counted between the afternoon and evening. The high number of strikes makes this day one of the stormiest of the year so far.

In addition to heavy rainfall, large hailstones were a major factor in the damage. In Ardèche, hailstones measuring six to seven centimetres in diameter were reported according to weather observations. They damaged vehicles and residential roofs. In Sarthe, up to 75 litres of rain per square metre fell locally within one hour. Such amounts of precipitation can quickly overwhelm waterways and drainage systems.

The thunderstorms formed along the boundary between very warm air previously present over France and cooler air in the upper layers of the atmosphere. This weather situation favoured strong updrafts, hail formation, violent gusts, and intense precipitation cells. At the same time, the prolonged heat had severely dried out the soil. As a result, during heavy rain, water can infiltrate less easily and run off quickly at the surface.

The situation remains tense on Thursday, 16 July. Meteo-France expects further, partly severe thunderstorms during the day from Brittany to Franche-Comté, as well as over the Pyrenees and in Languedoc-Roussillon. At 4 p.m., official thunderstorm warnings were in effect in 16 departments. In addition, warnings for high temperatures remained active in many parts of the country.

In the affected areas, there remains a risk of hail, local wind gusts, heavy precipitation, and further lightning strikes. Authorities advise following the latest official weather information, avoiding travel during thunderstorms where possible, and protecting vehicles and sensitive objects from hail. In the event of flooding, underpasses, flooded roads, and areas along riverbanks should be avoided.

Regionally, the thunderstorms bring a temporary drop in temperatures and rainfall, but they do not end the widespread drought. Meteo-France stresses that soil moisture in France was exceptionally low at mid-year. In several regions, the risk of vegetation and forest fires therefore remains high despite the precipitation.