A tornado tore through the village of Pomas in southwestern France on Monday, injuring 41 people and damaging around 300 homes, French authorities said, with 15 of the injured taken to hospital.
Pomas, a village of about 1,000 people in the Aude department, was among the worst-hit areas, with the tornado ripping roofs from homes and causing widespread damage. More than 120 emergency workers were deployed to the area, according to local authorities.
The storms also caused power outages and disrupted rail, road and air services across parts of southern France, while authorities placed large areas of the southwest under an orange alert for thunderstorms.
France's national weather service, Meteo-France, recorded wind gusts of up to 117 kph in the nearby village of Arquettes-en-Val.
Around 2,800 homes in 10 municipalities were also left without electricity, while several roads were closed and transport services disrupted by the severe weather.