Huge Hailstones Cause Severe Damage in the Ardeche

Aubenas – 16/07/2026: Following severe thunderstorms on Wednesday, parts of the Ardeche are assessing the damage. The south of the department, including Bas-Vivarais and the Coiron area, was particularly affected by heavy rain, high lightning activity, strong wind gusts and exceptionally large hail. Authorities reported hailstones measuring more than five centimeters in diameter in some locations.

The Ardeche prefecture had issued a second-highest-level thunderstorm warning ahead of the severe weather. After the storm cells passed through, state services, firefighters, police and other emergency units were mobilized. They are assessing damage, assisting those affected and securing hazardous areas. A full assessment of damage to buildings, vehicles and agricultural land was not yet available on Thursday evening.

Reports from the particularly hard-hit area around Aubenas illustrate the force of the hail. Residents reported damaged roofs and shattered or severely damaged windshields. French weather service Meteo-France confirmed that very large hailstones fell in parts of the Ardeche on July 15. More than 12,000 lightning strikes were recorded nationwide that day.

Hail of this size can damage roof tiles, skylights, vehicles and vulnerable crops in a short period of time. It forms in towering thunderclouds when strong updrafts repeatedly carry ice particles upward, allowing them to grow. They fall to the ground only once they become too heavy. The local intensity of such thunderstorms can vary greatly even over just a few kilometers.

The event was part of a thunderstorm system that affected large parts of western and central-eastern France on Wednesday. Meteo-France also expected at times severe thunderstorms in many regions on Thursday, July 16. Forecast hazards included heavy rain, intense electrical activity, wind gusts generally reaching 80 to 100 kilometers per hour, and further hail measuring two to five centimeters in diameter.

For the Ardeche, this means emergency services must remain prepared for possible new weather hazards while assessing the damage. Residents of damaged homes should not attempt to secure loose roof sections or damaged glazing themselves if there is a risk of falling or injury. During renewed thunderstorms, a sturdy building is the safest place to stay; trees, bodies of water and unprotected outdoor areas should be avoided.

The prefecture and Meteo-France are urging people to follow official weather information and instructions from local emergency services. After the severe damage on July 15, securing buildings, roads and vulnerable facilities is now the immediate priority for the affected municipalities. The scale of the financial damage remains unclear.