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View all search resultsHundreds of thousands without power as Storm Goretti hits France, Britain
In France, some 380,000 households lost power, mostly in the Normandy region and in Brittany, the Enedis power provider said.
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A huge wave crashes on the jetty of the harbor of Le Conquet, western France on January 8, 2026 as storm Goretti is announced to approach France's northern coasts. (AFP/Fred Tanneau)
S
trong winds battered France and Britain on Friday as Storm Goretti hit northern Europe, leaving hundreds of thousands of households without power.
In France, some 380,000 households lost power, mostly in the Normandy region and in Brittany, the Enedis power provider said.
Overnight, wind gusts of over 150 kph (93 mph) were registered in France's northwestern Manche region, with a record 213 kph in Barfleur, and the SNCF rail operator suspended train services between Paris and the Normandy region.
In Britain, 57,000 homes were without power, according to the National Grid, after Storm Goretti brought more snow to the country following a week of freezing weather.
Hundreds of schools are expected to be closed across Scotland and parts of central England, which has been particularly badly affected by Goretti.
Rail operators in that part of England have warned customers not to travel, and some services are suspended.
The squalls in France felled trees in several regions, with at least one crashing on residential buildings in Seine-Maritime region, without injuries, authorities said.
Gusts of up to 160 kilometres (100 miles) per hour were expected in parts of Britain and "very large waves will bring dangerous conditions to coastal areas", Britain's Met Office said.
It also issued an amber snow warning in Wales, central England and parts of northern England, predicting snow of up to 30 centimetres (11 inches) in some areas.
In Germany, heavy snow and winds in the north were set to affect schools, hospitals and transport links.
Up to 15 centimetres of snow (six inches) could fall in the north, and there was a risk of icy conditions in the south, according to the German Weather Service (DWD).
Temperatures this weekend could plunge to as low as -20C in certain areas, DWD meteorologist Andreas Walter told AFP.
Some areas have announced schools will shut on Friday, including in the northern cities of Hamburg and Bremen.
In Hamburg, the weather had already caused delays and cancellations on the public transport network on Thursday.
The national rail company Deutsche Bahn warned of significant delays in the coming days and has mobilised more than 14,000 employees to clear snow from tracks and platforms.
