The kitesurfer was killed and eight were injured after a sudden “mini tornado” hit a beach in Normandy, throwing a 31-year-old in a restaurant window
- Five people were hospitalized and one was killed after a strong wind in France
- A kite surfer died after a storm threw him into the window of a seaside restaurant
- The Normandy coast in the city of Ville-sur-Mer received a small warning about what the French media called a “mini tornado” coming from the English Channel
By Tom Brown for Mailonline
Posted: 13:42, 19 June 2022 | Updated: 13:48, 19 June 2022
A thirty-one-year-old kite surfer died Saturday night in Ville-sur-Mer on the Normandy coast of France when he was thrown against a restaurant window by a sudden gust of wind.
Strong storms hospitalized five people along with the kite surfer, who died in a collision with the building on the shore.
On the shores of Normandy, a powerful explosion of cold air from the English Channel caused three additional minor injuries on 18 June.
Another man was later reported missing at sea.
French media described the wind as a “mini tornado”, adding that meteorologists had not predicted the winds to be so strong.
Strong storms hospitalize five people along with a kite surfer who died when he crashed through the window of a restaurant on the beach
Strong winds raised clouds of sand and forced beach workers to fold towels and umbrellas, fleeing for safety from strong winds
Winds lasted 20-25 minutes on Côte Fleurie (Flowery Coast) between Ouistreham and Deauville, with Villers-su-Mer hit hardest by the “mini tornado”
The footage shows strong winds raising clouds of sand and forcing beach workers to fold towels and umbrellas.
Chairs and tables on terraces or in gardens were thrown as the sand swirled.
Thierry Granturco, mayor of Wheeler-sur-Mer, called the winds “violence we have never known on our coast”.
The winds lasted 20-25 minutes on the Côte Fleurie (Flowery Coast) between Ouistreham and Deauville.
This unexpected meteorological phenomenon was not announced by Météo-France, the organization that monitors meteorological events.
“It blew harder and ended up with a mini tornado,” Granturco told franceinfo on Sunday. “We had communication with Météo France, who informed us that they were not able to predict this type of mini tornado.”
He added: “We knew we would have strong winds, they were announced at the end of the evening or even at night, but we did not think they would be from this violence.”
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