Several European countries have declared a state of high alert as winds reaching speeds of up to 180 kilometers per hour (108 miles per hour) lashed the Atlantic coast of France overnight. Storm Ciara, as it is known, swept across Western Europe, uprooting trees, shattering windows, and leaving 1.2 million French households without electricity on Thursday.
Spain’s El País newspaper reported heavy rainfall associated with the storm in the far southwest of England, leading a UK national weather expert to warn of flood risks and advise people to take necessary precautions.
Dutch airline KLM canceled all its flights from early morning until the end of the day due to the continued high winds and expected strong winds in the Netherlands.
The newspaper noted that nearly all the French mainland coastlines, from Calais in the English Channel to the Atlantic Ocean, and even extending into Spain, as well as a large portion of the Mediterranean coast in France and Corsica, faced severe weather warnings on Thursday.
Local trains were canceled in the western part of France, and all roads in the Finistère region of Brittany were closed on Thursday morning. Residents were urged to avoid driving and exercise caution when passing through weather-affected areas.
Electricity company Enedis announced in a statement that the storm had left about 1.2 million French households without power as of Thursday morning. This includes roughly half of the homes in Brittany, the hardest-hit Atlantic peninsula by Storm Ciara. Enedis stated that it would deploy 3,000 workers to restore electricity as soon as weather conditions permit.
Forty-seven Spanish provinces went on alert following disrupted traffic and storm-related damage. The capital, Madrid, activated a red alert due to strong winds, leading to the closure of parks and gardens.
