Severe storms swept across central-southern Chile and large parts of France overnight, leaving at least five people dead and hundreds of thousands of households without electricity. Chilean authorities reported three fatalities, while French officials confirmed two deaths as violent thunderstorms struck after a prolonged heatwave.

In Chile, the national disaster response agency Senapred said three people died on Thursday as a powerful frontal system brought torrential rain, coastal storm surges and wind gusts that exceeded 100 kilometres per hour, with some meteorological reports recording peaks of 180 km/h. One victim was crushed by a falling tree while clearing debris from a highway, another fell from a roof while cleaning gutters, and a third died from an electric shock on a power pole. More than 76 people were affected and five were injured, according to the interior ministry. Over half a million customers—representing 7.3% of the country—lost power, mainly due to trees falling on cables. The government declared a red alert, suspended school classes in nine regions and deployed the army to evacuate flood-prone areas. President José Antonio Kast said the state was focused on anticipation, calling the situation “a critical moment”.

In France, two people died as thunderstorms moved across the centre and east of the country on Thursday evening. A woman was killed by a falling tree in Saint-Victurnien, in the Haute-Vienne department, and a man was found burned to death in a workshop struck by lightning in Dolomieu, Isère, according to local authorities. Grid operator Enedis said 53,000 households were without power on Friday morning, with the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Nouvelle-Aquitaine regions worst affected. Météo-France had placed 30 departments under an orange alert for violent storms, warning of large hail and gusts of up to 100 km/h; the alert was lifted early Friday as the storm system passed.

The storms in Chile were described by the national meteorological office as the most extensive such event in two decades, with an atmospheric river approaching the continent. In France, the thunderstorms followed a June heatwave that public health authorities said caused at least 2,000 excess deaths in a single week. Emergency services in both countries continued damage assessments, and officials cautioned that the toll remained provisional.