Severe storms leave 13,000 homes without power across France

Around 13,000 households across France remained without electricity on Thursday after violent storms swept across several regions overnight, according to electricity distribution operator Enedis, cited by Franceinfo.

The storms caused widespread damage across the country, particularly in the Ardeche department, where hailstones measuring several centimetres in diameter damaged homes, vehicles, and public buildings.

In the village of Prades, where around 1,000 people live, local authorities said about 95 percent of homes were damaged by the hailstorm.

Ardeche recorded more than 2,200 lightning strikes within two hours on Wednesday evening, making it the department most affected by lightning in France during the storm.

The strikes also sparked a vegetation fire that burned around four hectares.

Violent storms