Weather tracker: Thunderstorms strike across Europe amid record heatwave

Storms are typical during intense heat but this week’s have been extreme. Plus, deadly monsoon rains in Bangladesh

Hailstones the size of golf balls have been seen in French villages as, on top of the exceptional European heatwave, thunderstorms have struck across parts of Europe.

While thunderstorms are typical during and after a period of extreme heat, the storms across countries such as France, Germany and Poland have been particularly severe, bringing flooding, strong winds and heavy showers with large balls of hail.