Disruptions in Power and Railways: Over 1000 Homes Leave Dark in Southeast Regions, Valencia-Lyon Train Service Halts
In the heart of France, on the afternoon of September 4, 2025, the city of Gap was hit by a series of hail storms, accompanied by torrential rain. The storms, part of a larger series affecting several departments in the centre and southeast of France, left more than 1,200 homes without electricity in the Drôme region by Thursday evening.
The cities in the Drôme and Ardèche departments, particularly those located in the valleys, experienced winds reaching speeds of 80 to 100 km/h, with heavy rainfall up to 80 liters per square meter. While specific city names were not detailed in the reports, social media images showed the department's capital, Gap, covered in a layer of hail and flooded streets.
The hail storms in Gap also caused disruptions to train traffic on the Valence-Lyon line, due to a lightning strike that damaged the catenary and elements of the infrastructure. Repairs to the damaged infrastructure are scheduled to be carried out tonight.
In response to the storms, 70 firefighters were deployed for 35 interventions in Drôme, mostly for flooding. The southern Hautes-Alpes were also affected, causing around 50 interventions by firefighters. In Isère, firefighters recorded nine interventions. Fewer than 300 homes were left without electricity in the Ardèche region, also due to the hail storms.
Météo-France placed Drôme and Isère under orange alert until 8 pm on Thursday, and Ardèche until 6 pm, for "very strong" storms with "heavy electrical activity", hail, and torrential rain. The storms did not result in any reported casualties in the affected regions of Drôme, Isère, and Hautes-Alpes.
The power grid manager, Enedis, reported the electricity outages in the Drôme and Ardèche regions, but did not specify a timeframe for restoring power. More than 100mm of precipitation was recorded in Drôme, and up to 60mm in Isère and Ardèche, according to the 8 pm Météo-France bulletin.
As the storms pass and the clean-up efforts continue, the communities affected by these severe weather events hope for a return to normalcy soon.
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