Winter weather with hail storm had enveloped Germany and France over recent days, resembling the winter season, according to European weather reports.
Widespread travel disruption occurred in both countries, with some reported casualties in France.
In France, thunder and hailstorms in the Paris region resulted in hitting the Eiffel tower with several lightning strikes.
The severe storms caused delayed flights, wide-scale power outages, and burnt roofs in the region.
The country recorded multiple casualties, including the death of a suspected French woman and injury of 14 others.
In Germany, heavy snow and large hail stones covered the streets the southern and western parts of the country, including the town of Weiler-Simmerberg.
This came almost a year after torrential rain resulted in multiple deaths in a western German region.
The winter-like weather and severe thunderstorms are caused by a weather system in early June.
This left both German and French residents under a trail of destruction from the unprecedented severe weather, which also brought heavy rain with flooding affecting mostly low-lying areas and communities near inland bodies of water.
Europe Severe Weather
A severe weather outbreak affected most of Europe since last week, marked by the thick accumulation of snowfall, large hailstones, thunder, lightning strikes, and heavy rain.
The storms reached their peak over the weekend in western and central Europe, mostly affecting France and Germany.
Tennis ball-sized hail were reported from France to Australia, with some residents uploading to social media photos of the transformed landscape in their respective areas covered with ice and snow.
The said weather hazards were produced by the said storm system which formed over Northwest France on Saturday, June 4.
France Chaotic Scenes
As a multitude of lightning strikes navigated through Paris, flooding also struck the region and a large hail downpour occurred in central France.
In Paris, outbound flights at the Orly Airport were temporarily suspended on Saturday with flight delays recorded at the Charles de Gaulle Airport, according to The Guardian.
In Rouen, a woman was killed after being swept away by raging floods. Her body was found under a car in the city.
Météo France states the Eiffel Tower is struck by a total average of 10 lightning each year.
However, it reported that approximately 50,000 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes transpired within 24 hours nationwide, with 41,000 occurring in only 12-hour time frame, as cited by AccuWeather.
The European Severe Weather Database recorded multiple incidents of hail storms areas surrounding the town of Tours.
Related incidents also occurred in Vichy and in the nearby city of Clermont-Ferrand in central France.
Germany Intense Storms
According to Euronews, intense storms delivered hail stones reaching up to a half meter with most hitting the village of Wiler in Bavaria, blocking some roads with ice and making them impassable.
The heavy hail storms also turned many streets, squares, and gardens into winter landscapes, according to the European news agency.
In addition, the severe weather also uprooted trees and flooded cellars.
The winter season in France and Germany, as well some of its surrounding regions normally spans December to February each year.
The recent winter storm and severe thunderstorms are considered to be a rare phenomena given its occurrence at the middle part of the year.
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