The design of the Tempête-class coast-defense ships was based on that of the British breastwork monitors Glatton and Rupert.

The engine was rated at 2,000 indicated horsepower (1,500 kW)[3] and was intended to give the ships a top speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).

The ships carried enough coal to give them a range of 1,103 nautical miles (2,043 km; 1,269 mi) at a speed of 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph).

[2] The Tempêtes carried their main battery of two Canon de 274 mm (10.8 in) Modèle 1875 guns in a single twin-gun turret, forward of the superstructure.

[8] On 10 July, Tempête conducted tests to see if her wooden boats would be damaged by muzzle blast of her guns firing at their aft limit of traverse.

The ship ran aground in the roadstead on 4 August 1888 and had to wait until the next tide to free herself, although she proved to be undamaged when docked for examination.

The ironclad arrived in Toulon on 22 May 1900 for maintenance and she was damaged when her supporting timbers collapsed while she was in a dry dock to have her bottom painted.

[10] Thoroughly obsolete by this time, the ship was ordered back to Toulon on 30 December 1905 to pay off and arrived there on 22 January 1906; she was decommissioned on 15 February.

On 17–18 March 1909 Tempête was anchored in Alicastre Bay at the island of Porquerolles serving as target for the battleships Justice, Liberté, Saint Louis, and Gaulois.

The ironclad required temporary repairs to remain afloat after being engaged by the latter ship on the 18th, but they were ineffective as Tempête began list to port.