It took only a few minutes to transform the capital into an apocalyptic scene. This Wednesday evening, a storm of exceptional violence hit Paris and the western Île-de-France region, accompanied by gusts of up to 112 km/h and torrential rain. At the Eiffel Tower, the wind blew with unprecedented force, bringing down trees and plunging several neighborhoods into darkness. Surreal scenes were filmed: flooded roads, torn-off signs, flying blinds, and cars immobilized on submerged quays.
The shock was also institutional: the roof of the Grand Palais collapsed in the rain, interrupting a performance and forcing an evacuation. At the National Assembly, the session was suspended after a leak above the podium splashed Prime Minister François Bayrou mid-speech. Several metro stations were closed, with Guy Môquet, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Victor-Hugo stations flooded with water. RER and metro traffic was severely disrupted throughout Paris, with some lines completely shut down.
Considerable material damage but no injuries
Firefighters, overwhelmed by calls, recorded around forty fallen trees and carried out numerous operations to pump out water or secure damaged structures. Miraculously, no injuries were reported as of 22:30 p.m. This sudden deluge comes as France is experiencing its 50th heatwave since 1947, and authorities fear another heatwave as early as the weekend.
