Storm Freya batters northern France
Windspeeds as high as 151kph recorded off Brittany coast
Forecasters say 44 departments are on orange weather alert as Storm Freya batters the northern half of France.
The storm, which swept in overnight after battering the UK, and forecasters said that thunderstorms could follow in the wake of Freya, bringing hail and winds still gusting up to 100kph from Poitou to the north of the Massif Central to Franche-Comté and the Grand Est. The current weather warnings will remain in place until 6am on Tuesday.
The affected departments are: Aisne (02), Ardennes (08), Aube (10), Cher (18), Côte-d'Or (21), Doubs (25), Eure (27), Eure-et-Loir (28), Indre (36), Indre-et-Loire (37), Jura (39), Loir-et-Cher (41), Loire-Atlantique (44), Loiret (45), Maine-et-Loire (49), Marne (51), Haute-Marne (52), Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Meuse (55), Morbihan (56), Moselle (57), Nièvre (58), Nord (59), Oise (60), Pas-de-Calais (62), Bas-Rhin (67), Haut-Rhin (68), Haute-Saône (70), Saône-et-Loire (71), Paris (75), Hautes-de-Seine (92), Seine-Saint-Denis (93), Val-de-Marne (94), Seine-Maritime (76), Seine-et-Marne (77), Yvelines (78), Somme (80), Vendée (85), Vosges (88), Yonne (89), Territoire-de-Belfort (90), Essonne (91) and Val-d'Oise (95).
At sea, the swell will be significant, with waves 4m to 8m high - and there may be localised coastal flooding, forecasters warned.
Overnight, gusts of 151kph were recorded off the Morbihan coast at Belle-Île-en-Mer. The highest windspeed recorded on the island was 154kph, when Storm Zeus hit in March 017.
Onland winds in Brittany have reached 130kph at a weather station at Pointe du Raz; while speeds of 106kph have been recorded in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique) and up to 115kph on île d'Yeu (Vendée).
Inland, winds of 108kph have been recorded in Pontoise (Val-d'Oise), while in Paris, the gusts of up to 138kph were recorded at the top of the Eiffel Tower.
The storm has prompted autorities in Paris to shut parks, while police in the capital urged motorists to use "the utmost caution" on Monday. People across Ile de France have been advised to avoid travel if possible - particularly towards "the middle of the day".
