PARIS, June 5, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Storms across large parts of France Saturday
killed one woman, wrought havoc in some vineyards and forced thousands of cub
scouts to run for shelter.

In contrast, the Mediterranean island of Corsica sweltered in record
temperatures for the month of June.

A woman died after being trapped under a car by flash waters caused by a
storm in the northern city of Rouen, the mayor's office announced.

In the Landes and Gers region of southwest France, hailstones bigger than
golf balls crashed down on parts of the Armagnac vineyard, local growers and
officials said.

Bernard Malabirade, president of the Gers agriculture department, said the
hailstorm had affected tens of thousands of hectares.

In the southwest Landes region, wine grower Nelly Lacave described the
destruction left in the wake of the storm.

"In the vineyards, there is nothing left, the roof of our agricultural
building is a giant Swiss cheese, and in the house, the windows are broken,"
she told AFP.

"My father, who is almost 70 years old, has never seen this," she added.

Power company Enedis said Saturday evening the storms had cut off electricity
to around 5,000 household across the country.

In Loir-et-Cher, central France, 30,000 scouts who gathered for a camping
trip over the Pentecost holiday weekend had to be rushed to safety, many of
them inside the local chateau.

"The storm broke at around 4:30 pm," the scouts' press spokesman Damien Tardy
told AFP.

"It lasted for a few minutes, but it was relatively strong, and a gust of
wind collapsed the tents of the cub scouts.

"Ten thousand youngsters, aged between eight and 12, were given shelter
inside the chateau with the cooperation of the prefecture," he added.

Some of the older scouts however had stayed out camping. "They were singing
when I went over to see them."

Cap Corse on the north of the island of Corsica, registered 37.4 degrees
Celsius (99.3 Fahrenheit), said meteorologists France-Meteo, a record for the
month of June.

France-Meteo has warned more storms were on the way, starting in the
southwest and moving north and east across the country.