France hit by brutal thunderstorms bringing more than 100,000 lightning strikes in 12 hours (video)

On August 28th, more than 100,000 lightnings in less than 12 hours lit up the sky over France, from which 40,000 struck in the northern part of the country. Meteo France announced storm warnings in 9 regions in the south west of France, advising residents to stay at home.

An incredible 100,000 lightning strikes had been recorded in France over 12 hours. In some areas, about 40 mm of rain fell within less than one hour. These heavy downpours were accompanied by winds reaching 120km/h in some places.

The system bringing rain into S and E England has produced 100,000 lightning strikes in the last 12 hours across France. 40,000 of those in N France. Low risk of lightning across our shores from this @BBCBreakfast xxx

— Carol Kirkwood (@carolkirkwood) 29. August 2018

As explained in this video, the storm started quietly and suddenly ‘the heavens opened hugely, and the lightening and thunder weren’t to stop anymore‘. Here a minute of nearly non-stop flashes high in the sky of France:

Residents were advised to stay at home or stay in vehicles on the road due to possible lightning strikes. In the Charente area, 70 firemen were mobilized to clear up fallen trees that had blocked the roads.

Here an example of a very powerful shelf cloud that engulfed the sky in the South of France:

The main advice during lightning is to seek shelter inside, stay away from water and open spaces and avoid getting too close to trees and other tall objects. The risk of getting hit increases with the temperature so it is more important to be vigilant when the warm weather arrives.

According to Meteo France, a new record of lightning impacts has been set in 2018 in France.

Mother nature gets sometimes very angry…

Follow us: Facebook and Twitter

Meteo France – Record d’impacts de foudre en 2018
Express – France’s 100,000 lightning strikes MAPPED: Brutal weather hits nation in 12 hours