Severe winter storms disrupt Europe, battering Britain and France

Forecasters across several European countries urged residents to stay indoors, with the UK Met Office issuing a rare red wind warning for the Isles of Scilly and Cornwall in southwestern England. In France, Storm Goretti caused major power outages, leaving around 380,000 homes without electricity, most in Normandy, according to Enedis.

Power cuts and transport disruption

Britain’s National Grid reported that more than 42,000 homes in southwest England lost power, with further outages elsewhere. Wind gusts reached 216 kilometres per hour in northwestern France, while England and Wales were hit by gusts of up to 160 kph, with warnings of dangerous coastal conditions and heavy snowfall.

Rail services were severely affected, with the UK’s National Rail advising passengers to avoid travel unless essential. Roads, ports and schools were also closed in several regions of France, Britain and Germany.

Europe-wide impact

Germany faced further disruption from Storm Elli, prompting school closures in Hamburg and Bremen and the cancellation of long-distance rail services, while wintry weather also led to hundreds of flight cancellations around Moscow. Authorities confirmed that at least eight people across Europe have died in weather-related incidents this week.