A severe supercell storm swept across parts of France, Switzerland and northern Italy, bringing large hail, heavy rain and winds reported at up to 90mph. It damaged vehicles and property, disrupted transport and prompted warnings of further hazardous conditions, following weeks of extreme heat, drought and wildfires across Europe.

In France, footage showed strong winds affecting people and trees near Paris, hail shattering car windscreens near Besançon, and a train window collapsing during a storm. Golf-ball-sized hail was reported in northern Switzerland, while forecasters warned of heavy rain, hail, lightning and strong gusts in Italy’s Piedmont and Lombardy regions. The article links the storm to a wider summer of severe weather, citing estimates of €180 billion in heatwave-related economic damage and 36,000 heat-related deaths across Europe.