Tornado strikes Aude in southern France, tearing roofs off homes in Pomas

Tornado touchdown and property damage

A tornado touched down in the Aude department in southwestern France during the late afternoon on Monday, 24 August 2026. The funnel formed in the sector of Pomas, a commune located south of Carcassonne and north of Limoux. The rotating vortex tore roofs off residential properties and brought down trees across several local routes. First responders confirmed multiple active operations to secure damaged structures and clear debris. Local authorities reported that no injuries had been registered following the touchdown.

The prefecture of Aude issued an initial assessment of the situation in Pomas.

A tornado occurred around 5:20 pm in the commune of Pomas. Several homes were damaged, particularly at roof level.

Emergency mobilisation and local closures

Emergency services responded immediately to the incident, dispatching 58 firefighters and 15 gendarmes to the affected area. The departmental prefecture activated a Departmental Operational Centre to coordinate interventions, while emergency teams established an operational command post at the multipurpose hall in Pomas. Specialist search and clearing personnel arrived to assist residents whose properties sustained structural damage. Road management units activated the PC Route service to address blocked departmental thoroughfares caused by fallen trees.

Earlier in the afternoon, administrators closed the Carcassonne castle and its ramparts to visitors at 15:00 as storm conditions worsened. In Narbonne, municipal streets experienced localized flash flooding as the weather system pushed eastward.

Storm front and meteorological measurements

The tornado developed as a broad convective storm system crossed the western and central parts of Aude. The storm front moved across the Lauragais region before intensifying over Carcassonne and Limoux, subsequently progressing toward the Minervois area. Météo-France placed 20 departments across southern France on orange weather alert for violent storms throughout Monday.

Between 16:00 and 18:00, weather stations in Aude recorded intense precipitation and localized wind gusts. Castelnaudary registered more than 30 millimetres of rainfall in one hour. Wind monitoring stations logged peak gusts reaching 117 km/h in Arquettes-en-Val and 106 km/h in Lézignan-Corbières, while wind speeds exceeded 100 km/h in several other locations.

Sports cancellations and regional hail

The severe weather front caused disruptions across neighbouring southern departments. Organizers of the Tour of Spain cycling race permanently halted and cancelled the third stage, which had departed from Gruissan in Aude. A heavy hailstorm forced riders to seek shelter less than 20 kilometres from the planned finish line at Font-Romeu in the neighbouring Pyrénées-Orientales department.

Météo-France observed additional storm cells containing heavy hail across the Gers and Lot-et-Garonne departments. Emergency personnel continued cleanup operations in Pomas into Monday evening to restore access to blocked roads. Météo-France officially lifted the orange storm alert for the Aude department at 19:00 as atmospheric conditions stabilized.