Home / Environment / Storm Austen batters France with 111 mph winds, cuts power
Storm Austen batters France with 111 mph winds, cuts power
23 Oct
Summary
- Storm Austen cut power to nearly 300,000 French homes.
- Winds reached 111 mph (179 kph), causing travel disruptions.
- Britain also experienced power outages affecting 12,000 homes.
Storm Austen swept across northwestern France on Friday, Oct. 23, causing significant power outages and travel chaos. Nearly 300,000 homes lost electricity, with Brittany and Normandy being the most affected regions. The storm brought severe winds reaching 111 mph (179 kph), coupled with heavy rains.
This severe weather led to widespread disruptions, including suspended rail traffic in Normandy and major impacts on Paris commuter services. Flights were diverted from Charles de Gaulle Airport. Across the English Channel, Britain's National Grid reported that over 12,000 homes experienced power outages.
France's national weather agency issued orange alerts for the northwest, anticipating continued strong winds and thunderstorms throughout Friday. Meteorologists also noted that a second storm, Boelo, was expected to affect parts of the United Kingdom over the weekend, bringing further heavy rain and strong gusts.
