Storm Ciarán has brought hurricane-strength winds to France, the Channel Islands and southern England, leaving more than a million people without access to electricity and forcing hundreds of schools to close.
At least one person in France was killed, while 1.2 million people in the country were without power, as winds of over 120 kilometers per hour (75 miles per hour), and gusts of more than 200kmh (124mph) hit the department of Finistère in the northwest, according to the country’s meteorological agency Meteo-France. The wind speeds broke several local records.
“The very violent winds and gusts which followed one another throughout the night had the effect of causing many trees, branches and electrical and telephone lines across the entire road network to fall to the ground,” a statement from the Finistère government said.
Around 780,000 of those without power are in the northwestern region of Brittany, French energy supplier Enedis said in a statement. Fallen trees and electricity pylons uprooted by the storm were to blame for the cuts. Enedis has mobilized around 3,000 workers and 30 helicopters to re-establish power to affected areas.
The person who was killed was hit by a falling branch while driving, according to the French Transport Minister Clément Beaune in an interview with French broadcaster Franceinfo.
The storm has also hit the British Isles and Channel Islands, where red alert warnings are in place. On the island of Jersey, all schools and the airport were closed, according to the government’s website. In the southwestern county of Cornwall, 8,500 people were without power, the local council said on X (formerly Twitter), trees were blocking dozens of roads, and more than 100 schools were closed.
Source: cnn.com
