Storm Leaves 380,000 Homes Without Power Across France

Around 380,000 homes were left without electricity across France after Storm Gertie swept through the north-west of the country overnight, bringing hurricane-force winds of up to 200 kilometers per hour.

France’s French Interior Ministry said six people suffered minor injuries as a result of falling trees and storm-related incidents. Authorities described the situation as severe, prompting emergency responses across multiple regions.

In Brittany, an Atlantic peninsula particularly exposed to extreme weather, waves measuring between 10 and 13 meters battered parts of the coastline, causing coastal disruption and damage.

Rail services were heavily affected. In northern France, most train services were suspended on Friday, with only limited exceptions. Rail operations in Normandy and Brittany were expected to resume later in the day, while transport disruptions were also reported in the Greater Paris area, as well as in Alsace and Lorraine. Schools remained closed in the Manche and Seine-Maritime departments.

French authorities had issued urgent storm warnings ahead of Gertie’s arrival, urging residents to remain indoors wherever possible and avoid travel unless absolutely necessary.

Storm Gertie is the latest in a series of powerful weather systems to hit Western Europe, once again highlighting the vulnerability of infrastructure to extreme wind and coastal conditions.