A severe storm swept over French capital Paris on May 22, 2018, flooding streets and Metro stations. Just a few days ago, intense hailstorm further south in Vaucluse destroyed almost a year's worth of Luberon cherry tree crops.
The capital's streets looked more like rivers and stairwells like waterfalls, The Connexion reports. Areas in the north and the west of the city are said to be the most affected.
Heavy rain was accompanied by an intense hailstorm, leaving some parts of the city under a significant amount of ice.
Sinon à Paris bah c’est la tempête. #orage #grele #meteo #weather #storm @Meteovilles @KeraunosObs @lachainemeteo pic.twitter.com/HiOUFFJ8t1
— Matis Brasca (@BkMatis) May 22, 2018
Le métro porte Maillot est inondé les gens enlèvent leurs chaussures pour traverser le couloir de la ligne 1 pic.twitter.com/8NeHOZvZhA
— Squale (@MrSquale) May 22, 2018
Hmmm #metro ou #piscine ? Les #parisiens font les deux ! #ratp #pluie #orage #paris #orage #innondations pic.twitter.com/CAZoYBWiD0
— Sylvain Dechamps (@levraisido) May 22, 2018
Further south in Bonnieux (Vaucluse, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur), just 15 minutes of heavy hail and rain managed to ruin almost a year’s worth of Luberon cherry tree crops on May 19.
According to FranceInfo, the storm dropped hailstones as large as 10 cm (3.9 inches) and more than 60 mm (2.3 inches) of rain in just 30 minutes, causing serious damage to crops.
In 2017, this same region was devastated by unexpected frost, followed by drought.
Featured image: Storm over Paris on May 22, 2018. Credit: Météo Nord Parisien
