Sighting in Porchères, August 31, 2024

One evening, between 10:35 and 10:55 p.m., a witness standing in the garden of their home noticed several orange lights low in the sky, between the south and the west. The lights kept appearing and disappearing quickly. A thunderstorm was approaching from the south at the time.

GEIPAN rated the case as moderately strange and moderately consistent, since there was only one witness and no photo of the phenomenon. The investigation concluded it was probably an observation of anti-hail balloons, most likely as the salt bags they carry were burning. The witness's description fits this type of sighting, as the fires were orange and short-lived. The directions given match the location of the Bordeaux vineyards, to the west and south. The time coincides with a storm front about thirty kilometres away, which is when anti-hail balloons are usually launched. The local winegrowers' association, contacted by email, confirmed that 30 anti-hail balloons were launched that evening, though their exact positions were not known. The case was classified B: probable observation of anti-hail balloons.