Storm Carmen to bring winds of 130km/h over New Year

The weather service is still working to ascertain the exact regions that will be affected, but strong winds are expected to hit areas near the Channel (La Manche), and across the north of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, towards the south of Brittany, towards the Pays de La Loire, Poitou-Charentes, and part of Aquitaine, according to reports.

Coastal areas will be most affected, although the peak wind speed seen over the sea is expected to decrease as soon as Carmen reaches land.

Winds will reach 130km/h in the gulf of Morbihan and the Charentes coast, and residents are warned to stay indoors, and stay away from beaches and coastal areas due to a risk of tall waves and dangerously-strong winds.

The Paris area is likely to see wind speeds of around 90-100km/h, while the Pyrenees and Corsica will also see strong gusts.

By Monday afternoon, the storm will have passed over towards Germany and the Benelux nations.

Carmen is the most powerful storm to hit France in recent weeks, and comes after storm Bruno hit last week (although Bruno was felt more strongly in Spain and Portugal than in France itself).