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Arcachon in France: Danger from hurricane "Ciaràn"

Photo: PHILIPPE LOPEZ / AFP

France's northwest and the south coast of England are threatened by strong winds and flooding on Thursday - after it had already stormed violently during the night. According to the weather service Météo France, the entire French Atlantic coast, the north coast and the eastern Mediterranean coast are at risk of flooding due to storm waves until the evening. However, the strongest winds from the hurricane "Emir", which is internationally known as "Ciaràn", are expected to be over in France in the morning.

High wind speeds are expected in the UK until mid-morning in the counties of Cornwall and Devon. "Ciaràn" is said to rage on the south-east coast from Hampshire to Kent and Essex until late in the evening. The British weather service Met Office warned of danger to life from flying debris and falling trees.

In the county of Hampshire, a major incident was declared from midnight. Several ferry companies had cancelled their services in the English Channel for Thursday. Flooding is expected on the coast. The British Coast Guard warned people not to stay close to shore. On the Channel Island of Jersey, the weather service warned of wind gusts on Thursday night, which could reach a speed of almost 160 kilometers per hour in the early morning.

Power outages and fallen trees

In France, train services in the regions of Brittany, Normandy, Pays de Loire, Hauts de France and Centre Val de Loire were largely suspended for Thursday. In three particularly hard-hit départements, Transport Minister Clément Beaune called on people not to use their cars. Trucks were also not allowed to drive. In some cases, lowered maximum speeds in road traffic should apply. Municipalities had strengthened dams and erected additional barricades near the coast on Wednesday.

According to media reports, there were power outages in several places in France during the night, trees fell. In the western department of Finistère, one person was slightly injured in a traffic accident. There were a number of firefighting operations. At Nantes airport, planes were unable to land due to weather conditions and were diverted south to Toulouse.

Other countries are also likely to feel the effects of the low on Thursday. Warnings of the storm were issued in large parts of the Netherlands. The Meteorological Institute expects gusts of up to 110 kilometers per hour on Thursday, especially on the coasts. The automobile club ANWB appealed to people to work from home as much as possible on Thursday. Due to the strong winds and heavy rainfall, extremely long traffic jams are expected.

In Belgium, parks and other wooded areas are to remain closed or avoided in some places as a precaution. According to the railway, there will be no train between France and Belgium on Thursday. Accordingly, no trains will run between the city of Bruges and the North Sea coast, and a speed limit will apply to other trains. According to forecasts by the Royal Meteorological Institute, wind gusts of 80 to 90 km/h are expected in Belgium in the east of the country and 100 to 110 km/h in the west.

Germany is also expected to feel the effects of the slump. The German Weather Service issued a storm warning for parts of the North Sea coast and a strong wind warning for parts of the Baltic Sea coast. Storm gusts of up to 90 kilometers per hour are expected until noon, and up to 100 kilometers per hour on the Brocken in the Harz Mountains.

On the North Sea, East Frisia and Heligoland are particularly affected. On the Baltic Sea, strong winds are expected for the most part, but stronger gusts of wind are to be expected from Flensburg to Fehmarn and on Rügen. The strong wind will be accompanied by dense clouds and rain showers with temperatures between 11 and 14 degrees. Towards the weekend, the wind is expected to decrease slightly, but according to the forecast, it will remain mostly stormy and rainy.

wit/dpa