“We didn’t understand anything”: the images of the violent thunderstorms that affected the Pyrénées-Orientales and the Aude

• The southwest of France was struck by strong thunderstorms in the afternoon of this Saturday, July 12.
• It had never rained so much in this area for several months, according to Météo-France.
• The bad weather should be shifted to the Mediterranean coast in the evening.

– "we didn't understand anything": images

Woods, strong winds … Furthermore, In a few minutes, the weather became Dantesque in several departments in the south of France this Saturday, July 12. Similarly, A time “we didn’t understand anything”: images placed in orange alert for thunderstorms. However, rain-roller, the Pyrénées-Orientales and the Aude were the most affected by large accumulations of rain. Therefore, The inhabitants. For example, vacationers have been surprised by the force of the elements, as shown by the video of the 20h of TF1 visible at the top of this article.

In a first assessment, Météo-France evokes “Virulent thunderstorms concerning part of Occitania between the Toulouse south and the Roussillon”. At 5 p.m., we already recorded 81 mm of rain fallen to Ille-sur-Têt “we didn’t understand anything”: images (Pyrénées-Orientales), “including 59 mm in an hour”. 21 people had to be evacuated after the collapse of the false ceilings of a building. On this axis, “Radar cumulatives have raised values ranging from 100 to 150 mm, locally 200 mm”. In Saint-Cyprien, the streets were even flooded and turned into a river.

West of Perpignan, Perthus, 17 mm of rain fell in just six minutes. In the Aude, in Ribouse, the counting reaches 42 mm. Less impressive, the Ariège has also experienced significant precipitation. Proof of the exceptional character of these bad weather: “Such rains had not touched” The South West “Since May. even the month of March 2025.”

Trap motorists

Result: near Béziers (Hérault), 300 motorists found themselves completely blocked. “We came out, it was too dangerous. We didn’t see anything anymore, we started rolling with the Warnings. “we didn’t understand anything”: images It was a gray curtain and there was no way to move forward”testifies a couple.

On the side of Narbonne, a market had to close and, in Céret, Feria and Corrida were canceled. A Hérault fruit and vegetable merchant tells the scene at the microphone of TF1: “We didn’t understand anything. Suddenly, it didn’t warn. It really fell thick.”

The Keraunos observatory counted more than 5,500 lightning in an hour in the sector. He had alerted to the “Halm risk”. In question, a “cold drop” Who runs along the Pyrenees, said Météo-France on his website.

Spain strongly touched

On its X account. the prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales announces that the firefighters have already intervened 50 times for streams and pumping in cellars. Bouchons are also observed on the A9 and the departmental road RD162 between Montescot and Elne had to “we didn’t understand anything”: images be closed. However, no victim is to be deplored at this stage.

If the storm episode will lose intensity after 8 p.m. it “should go to the Mediterranean Sea by overflowing on the lower Rhône valley. western Provence, during the evening and the night”. On the other side of the border. a large part of Catalonia was placed on a red alert by the Spanish authorities due to the same weather episode. Torrential rains even fear floods in places.