Overview

• Paris experienced a dramatic hailstorm on Saturday afternoon, with hailstones reaching up to 4 cm in diameter, following a week of unseasonable heat.
• The storm caused rapid temperature drops of 7 °C in 20 minutes and wind gusts up to 90 km/h, recorded at Montsouris weather station.
• Four Paris metro stations were temporarily closed due to flooding, and road congestion in Île-de-France peaked at 180 km during the storm.
• Météo France has issued yellow alerts for thunderstorms across most of mainland France, with flood risks particularly high in Isère and Drôme on Sunday.
• Meteorologists attribute the storm's intensity to the clash of cold polar air with warm Saharan air, highlighting challenges in forecasting localized severe weather events.