The storm is wreaking havoc in France and Great Britain

Africa News of Monday December 28, 2020

Source: GNA

2020-12-28

A major storm swept across Britain and northern France on Sunday, leaving thousands of homes without electricity.

Some 34,000 homes in central and eastern France are without electricity after winter storm Bella.

The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté regions, as well as Alsace, have been particularly affected, the AFP news agency reported on Sunday evening, citing network operator Enedis.

Massive snowfall is expected in parts of the country.

Earlier, electricity was cut in some 18,000 homes in the coastal regions of northern France, Brittany, Normandy and Hauts-de-France. The situation has returned to normal and the electricity grid is working again, the agency reported.

The Météo France meteorological service warned of strong gusts and waves on the Atlantic coast, while the prefecture of the Manche department on the Manche called for caution due to the strong winds.

Gusts of up to 145 kilometers per hour (km / h) have been measured at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Previously, Storm Bella hit large parts of Britain with heavy rainfall and winds of up to 112 km / h.

More than 100 flood warnings remained in place across the country on Sunday.
Houses have been flooded in parts of Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire in eastern England.

In the south-east of England, more than 1,300 people had been asked to leave their homes during the Christmas period.

On the Isle of Wight in the English Channel, wind speeds of 170 km / h were measured overnight. The ongoing storm could push rivers further, experts warn.