Serious flooding hits France and Spain

Parts of France are on orange alert as savage storms leave a trail of destruction in their wake.

The South-west region is on storm watch, as the unseasonal weather claims its third life. A 54-year-old woman drowned in her car in the Landes.

Overnight a mini-tornado struck the Cote D’or region laying waste to 60 houses and leaving 15,000 homes without electricity.

In the French Pyrenees, flash floods showed no mercy sweeping away all in their path.

Wine producers say this year’s harvest was ruined in a matter of minutes after giant hail stones hit vineyards on Monday.

Rescue services had to evacuate 100’s of pilgrims from hotels in Lourdes and authorities were particularly concerned for the safety of the weak and sick pilgrims.

Lourdes is a grotto where every year over six million believers from all over the world visit seeking miracles and cures. It has been a place of pilgrimage since a young girl claimed to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary in 1858.

French President Francois Hollande is travelling to the French Pyrenees to inspect the damage, which will run into the hundreds of millions.

Across the border in Spain, residents in the Aran Valley near the Garona river began the massive clean-up task as the 300 evacuated returned to their homes.

They still remain without drinking water and rely on emergency supplies.