# Severe storms in Southwest France and Pyrenees > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/severe-storms-in-southwest-france-and-pyrenees > Updated: 2026-08-29T10:38:45.000Z. Sources: 6. Developments: 2. On August 15, severe thunderstorms and lightning struck southwestern France and the Pyrenees region. The weather caused flooding, hail, and mudslides. In Saint-Salvadou, a lightning strike ignited a fire in the Sainte-Marie-Madeleine Church, destroying the upper portion of the neo-Gothic building and causing its spire to collapse. Wind gusts in the area reached 80 to 90 km/h, while heavy rainfall led to flooded streets in Andorra. ## Claims - Severe storms and high winds caused widespread damage in various regions of France. (single source) - Wind speeds in France reached 142 kilometers per hour. (single source) - An orange alert was issued for 44 regions in France. (single source) - Hail the size of tennis balls damaged vehicles in cities including Besançon, Montbeliard, and Beaune. (single source) - Severe storms in Van, Turkey, caused the roof of the Seyyid Fehim Arvasi KYK Student Dormitory to blow off. (single source) - Storms in Artvin, Turkey, caused a roof to fall onto three parked vehicles in the Şavşat district. (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-08-29: Severe storms cause widespread damage across France and Turkey Severe storms and high winds have caused widespread damage in France and Turkey, resulting in uprooted trees, broken vehicle windows, and destroyed roofs. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/severe-storms-cause-widespread-damage-across-france-and-turkey ### 2026-08-16: Severe storms strike Southwest France, damaging church and causing floods Violent thunderstorms, lightning, and hail struck southwestern France and the Pyrenees, destroying a church spire in Saint-Salvadou and causing flooding and mudslides across the region. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/severe-storms-strike-southwest-france-damaging-church-and-causing-floods --- Cite as: Severe storms in Southwest France and Pyrenees. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/severe-storms-in-southwest-france-and-pyrenees