RENNES (France), Jan 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Around 380,000 households in France were without power on Friday morning as Storm Goretti swept through northern Europe with fierce winds.
The vast majority of the affected households were in the northern Normandy region, the Enedis power provider said in a statement, with residents also affected in Brittany, Picardy and the Ile-de-France regions.
Forecasters in France and Britain issued weather warnings ahead of Storm Goretti, urging people to stay inside their homes. Overnight, a wind gust of 213 kilometres per hour (132 miles) was registered in France’s northwestern Manche region, authorities said.
Schools remained shut in northern France, where weather alerts have been issued in 30 other regions.
“Take shelter and do not use your vehicle,” the Manche prefecture warned on X on Jan 8, urging residents to prepare emergency lighting and a drinking water supply.
Europe’s current extreme weather conditions have caused at least eight deaths, and on Jan 8, police in the Albanian city of Durres pulled a man’s body from floodwater following days of heavy snow and torrential rain across the Balkans.
In Germany, heavy snow and winds in the north were set to affect schools, hospitals and transport links.
Up to 15cm of snow could fall in the north, and there was a risk of icy conditions in the south, according to the German Weather Service (DWD).
Temperatures this weekend could plunge to as low as -20 deg C in certain areas, DWD meteorologist Andreas Walter said.
Some areas, including in the northern cities of Hamburg and Bremen, have announced that schools will shut on Jan 9.
In Hamburg, the weather had already caused delays and cancellations on the public transport network on Jan 8.
National rail company Deutsche Bahn warned of significant delays in the coming days and has mobilised more than 14,000 employees to clear snow from tracks and platforms. — NNN-AGENCIES