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Nature129 words1 min read

Strong Storms Hit Southeast France

A city skyline with a lightning bolt in the sky
Photo by Dmitry Voronov on Unsplash
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Strong storms swept through southeastern France, causing major damage.

The storms pulled up trees, tore off roofs, and caused power cuts in several areas.

Towns such as Salon-de-Provence, Miramas, and Pélissanne reported a lot of damage to homes and buildings.

One resident said that insurance does not cover all the costs of repairs.

Weather forecasters warned that a major weather deterioration was expected between Wednesday and Thursday.

This means the storms could continue or get worse in the coming days.

People in the affected areas are now dealing with cleanup and repairs.

Officials are watching the situation closely, as more storms may come.

The event shows how sudden storms can cause serious damage in a short time.

Residents are being advised to prepare for possible new storms this week.

Vocabulary10 words

storm
very bad weather with strong wind and rain
cut
a stop in something, like electricity
damage
harm caused to something
insurance
money paid to help cover costs after a bad event
deterioration
getting worse
forecaster
someone who predicts the weather
resident
a person who lives in a place
repair
fixing something broken
affected
changed or harmed by something
official
a person who works for the government

Quiz

1. Which region of France was hit by the storms?
2. What effect did the storms have on electricity?
3. When is more bad weather expected?

Fill-in-the-blank listening

Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.

Strong _____ swept through southeastern France, causing major damage.

The storms pulled up trees, tore off roofs, and caused power _____ in several areas.

Towns such as Salon-de-Provence, Miramas, and Pélissanne reported a lot of _____ to homes and buildings.

One resident said that _____ does not cover all the costs of repairs.

Weather _____ warned that a major weather _____ was expected between Wednesday and Thursday.

This means the storms could continue or get worse in the coming days.

People in the _____ areas are now dealing with cleanup and repairs.

_____ are watching the situation closely, as more storms may come.

Discussion questions

  1. Have you ever experienced a strong storm? What happened?
  2. Why do you think insurance sometimes does not cover all storm damage?
  3. What can people do to prepare for storms?
  4. Do you think storms are becoming more common? Why or why not?

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