Channel and west coast face storm

VIOLENT winds and high seas are hitting the west coast with Meteo France putting 11 departments on orange alert and warning of the arrival of the first severe storm of the winter.

The double orange alert for violent winds and flood danger warns residents in Cotes d'Armor, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sevres, Finistere, Gironde, Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, Morbihan, Pas-de-Calais, Vendee and Vienne to stay home if possible and avoid coastal areas.

There are fears that the storm could be as severe as Xynthia in 2010, which killed 30 people, and Meteo France warns of the danger of falling trees and flying objects in the winds which could reach 140kph and up to 120kph inland.

It said flooding was possible in coastal and riverside areas with six to seven metre waves and reaching up to 10m in Brittany with this morning's high tide.

A depression over the British Isles is causing high seas and strong winds and heavy rain, especially in the Channel and Pas-de-Calais which could face 4cm of rain over 24 hours.

Heavy winds and rain have lashed the west coast this week and an OAP died on Monday after being swept away by a wave in Hendaye on the border with Spain.

The "exceptional weather" with winds gusting to 70 knots forced the organisers of the Back to Brittany transatlantic yacht race to cut the event short last with the crews finishing at what they call the "safety gate", 300 miles off Vigo in Spain, rather than Lorient (Morbihan) as planned.