A mini-tornado left one person injured and damaged dozens of homes as it swept across part of northern France near Calais on Sunday.
Footage shared on social media shows a huge black cloud swirling up in the form of a tornado above the skies in the Bihucourt commune.
The mini-tornado swept across the region as France braces for a wave of storms following a spell of unseasonably warm weather.
The local authority in Pas-de-Calais has said one person suffered “light injuries” as the tornado swept across the department.
There was also an accident involving a heavy goods vehicle in the village of Croisilles.
Meanwhile, about 50 homes were damaged in Hendecourt-lès-Cagnicourt, and two families had to be relocated.
A farming building in the Mory municipality collapsed due to the tornado.
Meanwhile, electricity was down in the municipalities of Bihucourt and Hendecourt-lès-Cagnicourt.
The mini tornado ripped the roof off a church in Bihucourt and destroyed homes leaving debris strewn across the road, French news service BFM-TV reports.
Jacques Billant, the representative for Pas-de-Calais, has visited the town of Bapaume alongside firefighters and paramilitary police.
The local authority said in a statement on Sunday night: “The situation is under control. The gendarmes (paramilitary police) will ensure a continuous presence throughout the night in the affected municipalities.”
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France’s interior minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on Twitter: “The East and North of France suffered heavy storms. Several municipalities in Pas-de-Calais affected by a tornado, causing significant damage. Violent bad weather in the Somme.
“Solidarity with the inhabitants of the affected municipalities.”
The local authority in Pas-de-Calais has advised people to stay at home and not work on roofs.
People have also been warned not to touch fallen electrical wires.
