Storm Amelie caused high winds to blast southwest France on Sunday, whipping up giant ocean waves, uprooting trees and leaving some 140,000 people without electricity, authorities said.
Fourteen of the country’s 101 departments were placed on high alert as storm Amelie brought heavy rains to the Atlantic coast, with winds exceeding 160 kilometres per hour in places.
Emergency services attended to hundreds of callouts as gusts dropped trees on roads and railway tracks, and tore loose live electrical cables.
Mer démontée à #biarritz #PaysBasque #pyreneesatlantiques #tempeteamelie 📷Rémi Tav pour @Meteo_Pyrenees pic.twitter.com/WUJE1BOfBh
— Météo Pyrénées (@Meteo_Pyrenees) November 3, 2019
By midday, rescue services and prefectures had reported only three minor injuries – including one hospitalisation – in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, mainly due to falling branches.
Weather service Météo-France said winds as strong as 163 km/h were recorded in the coastal departments of Gironde and Landes, and 121 km/h in Bordeaux.
VIDEO: 🇫🇷 Powerful winds brought by #StormAmélie lashed #Biarritz in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques region of south-west France early on Sunday, as 14 of the country's 100-odd departments were placed on high alert pic.twitter.com/6IQJnyxjNj
— AFP news agency (@AFP) November 3, 2019
Electricity supplier Enedis said it was working round the clock to restore electricity to some 140,000 customers left without power by the storm.
In the Landes department, 47 people had to be evacuated from a camp site, and a casino roof collapsed.
#tempeteamelie bordeaux plein centre pic.twitter.com/PLDcGvqMBJ
— Kudo Hattori (@Kudo_Hattori) November 3, 2019
Several trains in the area were cancelled or delayed, according to the SNCF railway operator.
The southeast of France was not spared, with heavy rainfall forcing the evacuation of a gypsy camp. More than two dozen motorists had to be rescued as their cars got stuck in the deluge.
Several shops and homes in the southeast had their basements flooded.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
