Seven minutes.
The hailstorm which, late Tuesday afternoon, hit Saône-et-Loire, in the Paray-le-Monial and Digoin sectors, was brief but of rare violence, with hailstones sometimes larger than a ping-pong ball.
In fact, when you look at the facade of the Paray-le-Monial gendarmerie, the large shutters give the impression of a building located in a war zone, as they have been riddled and pierced.
Firefighters received more than 700 calls in a few hours, mainly for perforated roofs and damage to buildings.
Fortunately, the storm only caused two minor injuries.
“I was on my bike, I was coming home from work, I was less than 500 meters from my home in the center of Digoin, explains Stéphane, married and father of two children.
I was very scared when the hailstones hit me.
Fortunately I had my helmet, but I have bruises on my shoulders and back.
My roof needs to be changed, but I haven't had too much water in the house.
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Others weren't so lucky.
Jean-Yves Grillet, organic Charolais breeder, with a herd of 200 heads in Vitry-en-Charollais, is discouraged: “The roofs of my five buildings are destroyed and my house is uninhabitable, my plasterer told me this Thursday morning.
Fortunately, I was able to quickly cover the roof of a cottage that I rent.
We will live there with my wife and my two children, the time to fix everything.
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It will probably take years to redo all the roofs.