Mediapart reports:
A tornado devastated a campsite in the Ardèche département (county) of south-central France on Sunday, flattening trees and killing a 42-year-old man and injuring four other people, two seriously, as violent storms crossed France eastwards during the afternoon.
The tornado which hit the campsite at around 3.30 p.m. local time, at Saint Just-d’Ardèche, was described by witnesses cited by French media reports as brief but very fierce. The campsite was quickly evacuated by fire brigade workers and gendarmerie officers and the occupants given emergency shelter.
In another incident at a nearby campsite, at Saint-Paulet-de Caisson in the neighbouring Gard département further south, a 46-year-old woman died after she was hit by a tree during a sudden burst of strong winds. A report by local daily Le Midi-Libre said an infant at the campsite was treated for injuries.
The French national weather office Météo France had warned of the serious dangers presented by the storms over the weekend for more than 20 départements across France.