Most French departments on alert as Storm Benjamin arrives

UPDATE 16:20 - Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said six people across France have been injured as the storm ends its initial path, but poor conditions could return later this evening. A German tourist is reported to have died in Corsica.

Six departments remain on heightened orange alert for strong winds: Nord, Pas-de-Calais, Somme, Alpes-Maritimes, Haute-Corse and Corse du Sud.

Weather warnings were raised in almost every department on October 23 as a major storm arrived from the UK, leaving one person dead and four injured.

Storm Benjamin brought record coastal winds of 161km/h to Normandy early this morning after reaching France’s northern coast last night (October 22). 

It made its way inland over the course of the day, bringing gales of 130 km/h to many areas.

In Corsica, a German tourist died, having been swept away by floodwaters on a river near  Galeria.

“He was caught off guard by the rapid rise in water levels while swimming in the river with his wife and two children,” reported local firefighters in a Facebook post.

Four other people around the country are also reported to have suffered injuries due to falling trees.

At least 140,000 homes lost power at some point over the day, with 40,000 mainly in central France still without electricity by late afternoon. 

As of 16:00, six departments are facing heightened tier-three orange weather alerts from state forecaster Météo France. 

These alerts for strong winds remain in place in: Alpes-Maritimes, Nord, Pas-de-Calais, Somme, Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud, as well as in Andorra.

Heightened warnings for coastal flooding were in place in Gironde, Landes, Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Seine-Maritime, and for heavy rain/flash flooding in Corrèze and Cantal.

Warnings have changed several times as the storm progresses, and it is recommended to check the forecaster’s website and keep up to date with local weather reports as they could change further.

Trains cancelled, parks and beaches closed 

The conditions have led to train cancellations, particularly in Normandy where almost all regional TER services will not run until Friday morning (October 24). Some routes have not been running since yesterday afternoon.

The Hauts-de-France, Pays-de-la-Loire and Bourgogne Franche-Comté regions also announced a reduction in regional TER services today. 

In Brittany and Nouvelle-Aquitaine, national rail operator the SNCF has stated delays and cancellations are likely, but has not given details of exact services impacted. 

High-speed TGV services in or passing through these regions are also likely to be impacted, however there has been no official list of cancellations given by the SNCF. 

If planning to travel today, it is recommended to check your route either online through the SNCFConnect app or website, or through local SNCF variants. 

Drivers are urged to be careful and to avoid roads that may be subject to flooding.

Several beaches have been closed including in Gironde and the Pyrénées-Atlantiques (notably Hendaye), with several in Normandy also closed since yesterday.

In Nice (Alpes-Maritimes) all parks are closed, and likewise parks and cemeteries in Bordeaux (Gironde) are shut for the course of the day.

Homes lose power

Areas in Normandy, including Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, have already suffered from the storm. 

Up to 80cm of rain hit central parts of the town, flooding roads, homes, and bursting sewers.

Mayor of the city Benoît Arrivé said residents should avoid going outside unless absolutely necessary due to the strong winds forecast today.

However, authorities in coastal northern France say damage so far has been limited and no worse than other storms. 

Three people were injured in Charente-Maritime after a tree fell onto a vehicle, and a bus driver in Gironde was injured in similar circumstances, although no one was hospitalised.

A firefighter was also injured in the operation to assist the bus driver.

In total, around 140,000 homes have lost power due to the storm, however most have already been reconnected.

The strong gales also broke several records. A 161km/h gale at Fécamp (Seine-Maritime) is the highest ever seen in the area, as was the 119.6km/h in La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime) and 107.6km/h in Cognac (Charente).