Most French departments on alert as Storm Benjamin arrives
Flooding and record gales recorded. Trains cancelled and parks and beaches closed
Record winds of 161 km/h have already been recorded in Normandy
Zigmunds Dizgalvis/Shutterstock/X/MétéoFrance
Weather warnings have been raised in almost every department in France as a major storm arrives from the UK.
At least 100,000 homes have lost power at some point over the day, with 40,000 mainly in central France still without electricity.
Several trees have blown over, blocking rail lines, and four injuries from falling trees have been recorded.
Storm Benjamin already brought record coastal winds of 161 km/h to Normandy early this morning after reaching France’s northern coast last night (October 22).
It will continue to move inland today with gales of 130 km/h expected as the day progresses.
Gales of up to 120 km/h are also expected in the south along the path of the Tramontane winds, and potentially along the Riviera coastline.
Heavy rain is expected in the south-west, centre, and east of the country, with thunder and lightning in the north-west.
As of midday, 18 departments are facing heightened tier-three orange weather alerts from state forecaster Météo France.
Heightened alerts for strong winds are in place in: Alpes-Maritimes, Aude, Charente, Charente-Maritime, Corrèze, Gironde, Landes, Nord, Pas-de-Calais, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Pyrénées-Orientales, Deux-Sèvres, Somme, Vendée, Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud, as well as in Andorra.
Heightened warnings for coastal flooding are in place in Gironde, Landes, Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Seine-Maritime, and for heavy rain/flash flooding in Corrèze and Cantal.
Note however these warnings are likely to change as the storm progresses, and it is recommended to check the forecaster’s website and keep up to date with local weather reports.
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.
Flooding in northern France, wind records battered, 100,000 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 the Dordogne, strong winds yesterday led to several trees being uprooted and a temporary electricity outage for around 150 homes.
This morning, around 100,000 homes in central France are without power due to the storm.
Winds are expected to pick up in the afternoon but have already broken several records. A 161 km/h gale at Fécamp (Seine-Maritime) is the highest ever seen in the area, as was the 119.6 km/h in La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime) and 107.6 km/h in Cognac (Charente).
