Farmers in southeast France counted the costs from lost harvests on Sunday after a fierce storm battered the region with hail the size of ping-pong balls, decimating orchards and vineyards just as the summer season was kicking into high gear.

"Pretty much my entire harvest is ruined," said Gregory Chardon who grows apricots, peaches and cherries at his farm in La Roche-de-Glun in the Drome department, about an hour's drive south of Lyon.

Even the netting strung over his fields was no match for the tempest of hail which suddenly struck on Saturday afternoon, strewing the ground with damaged fruit and broken branches.

"The damage is enormous and widely spread -- cereals, greenhouse and vegetable farms, and vineyards as well," Chardon said.

In the neighbouring village of Pont-de-L'Isere, Aurelien Esprit showed apricots littering the ground and battered apple trees at his orchards in a Facebook video.

"Unfortunately the season ended for us last night. I don't think I'm going to make it this time," he said.

Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume said the state would declare a natural emergency to trigger insurance payments and other help to farmers facing huge losses.

"It's catastrophic, I've rarely seen scenes like this," Guillaume told BFM television while touring the area Sunday. "It's unthinkable that farmers would be forced into bankruptcy because of this."

The epicentre of the storm was at Romas-sur-Isere where streets were turned into raging torrents.

The hail shattered car windshields and severely damaged the roofs of dozens of homes, including smashing the sunlight on the roof of a gymnasium where a judo competition was being held.

In the neighbouring Haute-Savoie region, a 51-year-old German woman was killed after a tree fell on her camper during the storm.

Rescue workers responded to hundreds of calls for help and officials said 10 people were injured.

"Weather episodes as violent as this are quite rare, and I've never seen one like it in this area," said Lieutenant-Colonel Herve Gabion of the fire brigade for the Drome department.

Farmers in southeast France counted the costs from lost harvests on Sunday after a fierce storm battered the region with hail the size of ping-pong balls, decimating orchards and vineyards just as the summer season was kicking into high gear.

Farmers in southeast France counted the costs from lost harvests on Sunday after a fierce storm battered the region with hail the size of ping-pong balls, decimating orchards and vineyards just as the summer season was kicking into high gear. "Pretty much my entire harvest is ruined," said Gregory Chardon who grows apricots, peaches and cherries at his farm in La Roche-de-Glun in the Drome department, about an hour's drive south of Lyon. Even the netting strung over his fields was no match for the tempest of hail which suddenly struck on Saturday afternoon, strewing the ground with damaged fruit and broken branches. "The damage is enormous and widely spread -- cereals, greenhouse and vegetable farms, and vineyards as well," Chardon said. In the neighbouring village of Pont-de-L'Isere, Aurelien Esprit showed apricots littering the ground and battered apple trees at his orchards in a Facebook video. "Unfortunately the season ended for us last night. I don't think I'm going to make it this time," he said. Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume said the state would declare a natural emergency to trigger insurance payments and other help to farmers facing huge losses. "It's catastrophic, I've rarely seen scenes like this," Guillaume told BFM television while touring the area Sunday. "It's unthinkable that farmers would be forced into bankruptcy because of this." The epicentre of the storm was at Romas-sur-Isere where streets were turned into raging torrents. The hail shattered car windshields and severely damaged the roofs of dozens of homes, including smashing the sunlight on the roof of a gymnasium where a judo competition was being held. In the neighbouring Haute-Savoie region, a 51-year-old German woman was killed after a tree fell on her camper during the storm. Rescue workers responded to hundreds of calls for help and officials said 10 people were injured. "Weather episodes as violent as this are quite rare, and I've never seen one like it in this area," said Lieutenant-Colonel Herve Gabion of the fire brigade for the Drome department.

Heavy toll for French farms and vineyards after brutal hailstorm

Two people died and another person went missing on Sunday as high winds and heavy rain pummelled<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/uss-pompeo-saddened-by-italy-joining-chinas-belt-and-road-project-206132&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjWvb37k4biAhVJiHAKHUVJDyQ4ChAWMAZ6BAgEEAI&amp;usg=AOvVaw3fJlvpdXsjpOSUIGmaap8O"> Italy </a>and neighbouring France.

In Sicily, an unexpected gust of wind killed a 65-year-old German kitesurfer on the Islands of the Stagnone nature reserve, smashing him against a parked car as he tried to go into the sea, Italian media reported.

He was not wearing a buoyancy device or helmet despite the authorities recently making them mandatory for kitesurfers.

A Romanian man was missing in the waters of the canal between Mincio and Pozzolo in northern Italy after he and four of his countrymen ended up in the water during a fishing trip.

The anglers' car rolled into the water early on Sunday morning after they sought shelter from the bad weather and fell asleep reportedly without the handbrake on.

Emergency services scoured the waters in boats despite heavy rain after all but one of the men was rescued.

In France meanwhile, a German tourist in her sixties was swept away by waves on the island of Corsica as violent Mistral winds battered the region with record speeds of up to 138 kilometres (85 miles) per hour, officials said.

Up to 30 centimetres (around 12 inches) of snow fell in the Dolomite mountains of northeastern Italy, with temperatures plunging to unseasonal levels.

Anything above 700 metres was blanketed in white, and the avalanche warning level was raised to three out of five.

Three French mountaineers were rescued from Monte Rosa in the Alps at around 4,000 metres altitude as temperatures fell as low as -15 degrees Celsius (five degrees Fahrenheit), Italian media reported.

Wind and rain further south also destroyed vineyards and greenhouses and flooded fields in the northern regions of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna, farmers' union Coldiretti said.

It estimated the loss of young fruit at a sensitive time of year at millions of euros (dollars).

Two people died and another person went missing on Sunday as high winds and heavy rain pummelled Italy and neighbouring France. In Sicily, an unexpected gust of wind killed a 65-year-old German kitesurfer on the Islands of the Stagnone nature reserve, smashing him against a parked car as he tried to go into the sea, Italian media reported.

Two people died and another person went missing on Sunday as high winds and heavy rain pummelled Italy and neighbouring France. In Sicily, an unexpected gust of wind killed a 65-year-old German kitesurfer on the Islands of the Stagnone nature reserve, smashing him against a parked car as he tried to go into the sea, Italian media reported. He was not wearing a buoyancy device or helmet despite the authorities recently making them mandatory for kitesurfers. A Romanian man was missing in the waters of the canal between Mincio and Pozzolo in northern Italy after he and four of his countrymen ended up in the water during a fishing trip. The anglers' car rolled into the water early on Sunday morning after they sought shelter from the bad weather and fell asleep reportedly without the handbrake on. Emergency services scoured the waters in boats despite heavy rain after all but one of the men was rescued. In France meanwhile, a German tourist in her sixties was swept away by waves on the island of Corsica as violent Mistral winds battered the region with record speeds of up to 138 kilometres (85 miles) per hour, officials said. Up to 30 centimetres (around 12 inches) of snow fell in the Dolomite mountains of northeastern Italy, with temperatures plunging to unseasonal levels. Anything above 700 metres was blanketed in white, and the avalanche warning level was raised to three out of five. Three French mountaineers were rescued from Monte Rosa in the Alps at around 4,000 metres altitude as temperatures fell as low as -15 degrees Celsius (five degrees Fahrenheit), Italian media reported. Wind and rain further south also destroyed vineyards and greenhouses and flooded fields in the northern regions of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna, farmers' union Coldiretti said. It estimated the loss of young fruit at a sensitive time of year at millions of euros (dollars).

Two dead, one missing as freak weather hits Italy, France

france-weather

France Weather, News on France Weather, stories on France Weather, articles on France Weather, France Weather stories at Wion, France Weather news, France Weather latest news

france weather

Heavy toll for French farms and vineyards after brutal hailstorm

Two dead, one missing as freak weather hits Italy, France