Aveyron, one of the most struck departments in Occitanie in 2023

L'Aveyron a été l'un des départements les plus foudroyés d'Occitanie en 2023. – José A. Torres

L'Aveyron a compté 69 jours d'orages en 2023 et fait partie des départements d'Occitanie les plus foudroyés de l'année. 

In 2023, 64% of days were marked by at least one storm. The total count is 232 days with storms, which is slightly below average, notes Keraunos, the French Observatory of tornadoes and storms. But the results are much more irregular when looking at each department.

The Gironde, for example, experienced 30 more days of storms than normal, while the Alpes-Maritime showed a deficit of 20 days. Aveyron has been well served: the department has had around ten more stormy days than its usual average, with a few memorable episodes.

More than 15,000 lightning strikes over the year

On July 24, 2023, 1,148 lightning strikes struck Aveyron, ahead of May 6 (1,109 lightning strikes) and September 17 (1,073 lightning strikes). Cumulatively over the year, the department was struck by lightning 15,877 times, including more than 5,000 times in the month of May alone.

The week of May 22, Aveyron was hit by a violent episode of storms and hail, which was particularly severe on the border with Hérault and the Gard.

L'Aveyron was one of the departments of Occitanie most struck by lightning in 2023, counting exactly 69 days of storms, and complete thus the podium behind the Lot (21,205 flashes) and the Gers (17,202 flashes).