Storm Goretti brought severe weather to parts of northern Europe on Friday, causing widespread disruption in France and the United Kingdom, including power outages, transport suspensions and school closures.
In France, around 380,000 households were left without electricity, mainly in Normandy and Brittany, according to power provider Enedis. Authorities also reported extreme wind conditions, with gusts exceeding 150 kph in parts of northwestern France and a record 213 kph recorded in Barfleur. Rail operator SNCF suspended services between Paris and Normandy as a precaution.
In the UK, Storm Goretti compounded an already difficult week of freezing weather, bringing further snow and high winds. The National Grid said around 57,000 homes were without power. Hundreds of schools were expected to close across Scotland and parts of central England, where conditions were particularly severe.
Transport disruption was most visible at Heathrow Airport, where at least 69 flights were cancelled, affecting more than 9,000 passengers. British Airways confirmed it had cancelled dozens of arrivals and departures. Rail operators in central England also advised passengers not to travel, with several services suspended.
Authorities in both countries said they were monitoring conditions closely as crews worked to restore power and maintain essential services.
One dead in floods in Albania as rain and snow grip Balkans
Meanwhile, A man was found drowned on Thursday in the Albanian city of Durres and emergency teams worked around the clock to evacuate dozens of people from flooded houses hit by heavy rainfall.
The Western Balkan countries have seen disruption from snow and other winter weather since Sunday, with the closure of roads and railway lines, power cuts and drinking water affected.
Emergency teams were using boats to evacuate villagers trapped in flooded houses in the area around other southwestern Albanian towns of Fier and Vlora, after the Viosa River rose to over 9 metres, the defence ministry said.
A 55-year-old municipal worker who went missing on Tuesday was found dead in a drainage canal in Durres, probably swept away by the current, according to the interior ministry.
The emergency services said they were working to remove water from around 800 homes and buildings, after sheltering around 300 people in the army and police facilities.
In neighbouring Kosovo, where vast areas of land have been flooded in the past days, the rain was replaced by snow on Thursday. Bosnia has also been hit by snow.
“It is very difficult to function like this, the streets are not cleared, especially for pedestrians,” said Armin Hasanovic, a resident of the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo.
The temperature of -14 degrees Celsius (7 degrees Fahrenheit) was recorded on Thursday morning in the Croatian capital of Zagreb, with meteorologists forecasting a new cold spell on Sunday with even lower temperatures.
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