Severe May thunderstorms flood parts of France after record‑dry, warm April

A series of intense thunderstorms struck France in early May 2026, bringing heavy rain, hail up to 3 cm and more than 70 000 recorded lightning strikes since 1 May. The storms triggered vigilance alerts across most of the country, with yellow or orange warnings for rain‑flooding in regions such as the Mayenne, Var, Haute‑Garonne and Tarn‑et‑Garonne.

In Tarn‑et‑Garonne, the commune of Albias received over 60 mm of rain in one hour, flooding streets and overwhelming drainage systems. Haute‑Garonne saw severe flooding in Saint‑Jory and a partially inundated preschool in Rieux‑Volvestre, prompting evacuations and 56 fire‑brigade interventions. The Var department faced rain‑intensity of 15 mm per hour, with peaks up to 70 mm on higher ground, and strong east winds of 70–80 km/h.

These events follow an unusually dry and warm April, which recorded a 70 % precipitation deficit and a temperature anomaly of +2.3 °C, making it one of the driest and hottest Aprils since records began in 1959. Meteorologists attribute the May instability to a clash between warm air from Tunisia and cooler Atlantic air, creating highly unstable conditions across the country.