Storm damage, which followed the first heat wave of the year with thunderstorms, has affected some French winegrowers. Along the Douro, too, hailstorms caused damage to vineyards. French and Portuguese media are now trying to assess the extent of the damage, even though it is difficult to quantify and reflects a highly local picture.
In France, as a result of the heat of the past week, storm cells formed, some of them powerful, which unloaded over many wine-growing regions at the weekend. "I think it's one of the most violent [storms] in my life!" tweeted Serge Zaka, an expert in agricultural meteorology, about the situation in the Hérault department (Langeudoc) on Sunday.
The storms moved from south to north across almost all growing regions and were accompanied by wind gusts of over 100 km/h, locally also by mini-tornadoes like in Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil (Loire), where the church tower collapsed as a result of the tornado. Winegrowers from the Champagne region are already reporting 100 percent losses. Hailstorms in particular caused extensive damage, although these were very localised.
Hailstorms have also been affecting the Douro Valley since the end of May. After a good start to the growing season for the winegrowers, there have been repeated hailstorms since 31 May, which mainly affected the central area of the Douro Valley around Peso da Régua. The regional agriculture and fisheries authority speaks of 2,200 hectares affected by hail damage. Some winegrowers therefore describe the harvest as already finished. Winegrowing is often the only source of income along the Douro, and many winegrowers may have to struggle economically due to the lack of storm insurance. sw
