Tornado near Paris: Lessons for storm risks in Switzerland

A rare and powerful weather event caused significant damage near Paris on 21 October 2025: a tornado tore through the area, uprooting trees, damaging roofs and tragically claiming one life.
Within minutes, calm autumn weather turned into a destructive storm – an increasingly common occurrence in Europe.

Meteorologists describe it as a rare but not isolated event. Tornadoes form when warm, moist air collides with colder layers, creating strong updrafts. When the rotation inside a thunderstorm cloud extends down to the ground, winds can exceed 200 km/h.

While tornadoes are very rare in Switzerland, strong storms, Foehn winds, squalls and downbursts regularly occur and can cause significant damage.
Particularly exposed are:

• Alpine and pre-Alpine regions, where Foehn winds can exceed 150 km/h.
• Lowland areas, increasingly affected by intense thunderstorm fronts.
• Construction sites, roofs and facades, where loose materials can become hazardous.

Past events such as Lothar (1999) and Burglind (2018) demonstrated the enormous economic impact of storms – for both individuals and businesses.