‘Ciarán’ could cause strongest winds in decades in France and England

En France, Météo-France warned of exceptional winds with gusts of around 145 km/h in Brittany, Normandy and Pays de la Loire. In the extreme northwest of the country, winds of up to 170 km/h and waves of almost 10 meters in height are expected.

The national railway authority, the SNCF, canceled some regional trains in five regions of the East from Wednesday night and, on the fast train route between Paris and Rennes, intermediate stops were suspended.

“It is in the calmest moments that we must prepare”, said the spokesman for the National Firefighters Federation, Eric Brocardi, in statements to BFM-TV, advising residents to stay at home, close the windows tightly and prepare ‘kits’ ’emergency supplies with medicines and flashlights in case of a power outage.

In the English Channel area, the regions of Brittany and Normandy are expected to be most affected, in addition to the Loire-Atlantique region to the south.

In the United Kingdom, the British weather service issued severe weather warnings for winds gusting around 130km/h or more in coastal areas between Wednesday night and Thursday. The Channel Islands and eastern England will bear the brunt of the wind and rain, but much of the south and southeast will also be hit by stronger than normal winds and rain.

According to Rachel Ayers, from the Met Office, power failures could occur as a result of falling trees, road traffic constraints and the closure of train services.

The last time strong winds of this level were recorded in the UK was during Storm Eunice in February 2022, but the meteorologist warns that Storm Ciarán could cause even more damage.

The English Environment Agency, warning that “the wind continues to be the biggest threat from the storm”, advised the population to prepare for possible flooding on Wednesday, but the worst impacts are not expected until Thursday, with the flood barriers will be installed in the southeast and on the River Severn, which flows into the estuary that separates England and Wales, where heavy rain is expected to be the biggest threat.

The Irish weather service, Met Éireann, is also forecasting heavy rain, strong winds and rain in the southern counties.

According to Yale Climate Connections expert Bob Henson, it looks like “a once-in-a-few-years storm for the UK and France,” but it could turn into a “once-in-a-generation storm.”

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