Storms wreak havoc in UK and France

LONDON // Disrupted transport networks and power cuts wreaked havoc in Britain and France yesterday, one of the busiest travel and shopping days of the year, after hurricane-force winds and torrential rain lashed the region.

Winds up to 145kph hit both sides of the English Channel, killing at least three people, as heavy downpours caused rivers to flood, traffic bottlenecks, and rail, flight and ferry services to be cancelled.

Britain’s busiest airport, Heathrow, cancelled or delayed flights, while the country’s second busiest airport, Gatwick, had one terminal hit by a major power cut.

British train operators also cancelled hundreds of services yesterday morning, by which time the storm had abated, leaving hundreds of thousands stranded and unable to travel to or from London.

The weather is expected to be a blow for British retailers eager to cash in on the traditional Christmas rush. “Given retailers’ hopes that the last couple of days before Christmas would see a final strong surge in sales, the awful weather could not have come at a worse time,” said one analyst.

Brittany and Normandy were among the regions worst hit in France, where 240,000 homes were deprived of electricity, while in southern England, 100,000 homes were cut off from the power grid.

British police said a man, 48, drowned in the Rothay River in northern England after falling in trying to save his dog, which survived, while a woman’s body was found in a river in North Wales.

In France, a teenager was killed and another seriously injured on Monday when a wall at a building site collapsed in Normandy. Naval authorities said a Russian sailor was reported missing after being blown overboard a cargo ship off the coast of Brest.

Energy network groups in both countries said work had begun to address the damage.

France’s SNCF national rail service had numerous delays but no rail lines were shut by the storms.

Britain’s environment agency said flooding would hit much of the country, with 250 flood alerts, 80 flood warnings and one severe flood warning in place. Towns in Brittany in France faced severe flooding.

* Reuters