A powerful storm system, named "Goretti" by Météo-France, moved across the United Kingdom and France on Friday, leaving downed trees and power cuts affecting nearly half a million customers.
The storm also spread snow across parts of Great Britain.
The worst of the 55,000 U.K. power outages were in the southwest at Cornwall, where 73 percent of National Grid U.K. power customers were without power as of Friday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.US.
A weather station at Padstow NCI in Cornwall recorded a wind gust of 123 mph (198 km/h). One man had his home's roof ripped off as hail and rain poured in through cracks in the walls. Off the southwest shore, a peak gust of 99 mph (159 km/h) was reported at St. Mary's on the Isles of Scilly, the highest there since 1991, the Met Office said.
To the southeast, a 121 mph (195 km/h) gust was measured at Barfleur, on the tip of France's Cotentin peninsula. Winds were even worse in Normandy, France, with a wind gust of 132 mph (212 km/h) recorded in Gatteville-le-Phare. At one point, more than 380,000 customers were without power in France.
The storm affected rail services in the English West Midlands, as well as trains in France and Germany.
Travel and school disruptions in Scotland from a storm earlier this week were extended by Friday's storm. The nation was hit with 20 inches (51 cm) of snow on Monday, and many schools shuttered again on Friday, wrapping up a full week of closures.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Attorney-General to High Court: Gov’t violating draft ruling, risking rule of law - 2California officials warn against foraging wild mushrooms after deadly poisoning outbreak
- 3Army commander convicted of Guinea stadium massacre dies in prison
- 4Vote in favor of Your #1 4\u00d74 SUVs
- 5Flourishing in a Cutthroat Work Market: Vocation Methodologies
- Honda’s Biggest Flex Isn’t Its Superbikes, It’s Selling 500K Bikes In One Month
- Old video misrepresented as senior Sri Lankan ruling party member criticising president over fuel shortage
- Step by step instructions to Keep up with Ideal Oral Cleanliness at Home
- It's been 20 years since MTV's golden couple split. These producers saw it all unravel.
- Ukraine demands army of 800,000 under peace plan
- Supreme Court case about ‘crisis pregnancy centers’ highlights debate over truthful advertising standards
- After fleeing past Hezbollah fighting, some Israelis on northern border vow to stay
- This Tiny Neon Frog Dwells in the Clouds
- Consumers advised to dispose of 19 cooking pans due to lead leaching risk, FDA reports
