Storm Austen hit France and Britain on Friday, October 23, cutting power to nearly 300,000 French homes and about 12,000 British homes and disrupting rail, air and road travel.
The storm brought heavy rain and winds reaching 179 kph. Fallen trees and debris blocked roads. France’s Enedis said Brittany and Normandy were among the areas hit hardest.
By Friday evening, about 242,000 French households were still without power. In Britain, National Grid crews worked to restore electricity to affected homes. Rail traffic in Normandy was suspended.
Disruption was expected on Paris commuter services. Some flights were diverted from Charles de Gaulle airport. Météo-France issued orange warnings for strong winds across parts of northwestern France as severe weather continued.
A man in the Manche department died while sawing a fallen tree in his yard, France 24 reported. Austen moved northeast. Forecasts pointed to a separate storm called Boelo bringing more rain and strong winds to parts of Britain over the weekend.