Storm leaves 55k homes without power in France

A severe winter storm has caused a power outage in northern parts of France, leaving tens of thousands of homes without electricity, a report says.

Some 55,000 homes have been left without electricity in the French regions of Pays de la Loire and Normandy, power distributor ERDF said on Friday.

The state-controlled utility company said electricity will be restored later on Friday evening – weather permitting.

The storm marks the latest incident of severe weather in France and other parts of Europe during the past few months.

In late December, storms cut electricity to some 242,000 homes, mostly in coastal Brittany and Normandy.

The national weather office, Meteo France, kept an “Orange” alert level for weather-related dangers, its second highest, in parts of Brittany and southeastern France for the tumultuous Christmas day.

Another powerful storm caused one death in France on December 24, 2013, after a teenager was killed when a wall in a building site collapsed in Normandy.

In addition, authorities in Britain reported on the same day that at least five had died due to weather related incidents.

In other parts of Europe, namely Italy, Serbia, and Romania, heavy rain and snow has created chaotic conditions during the month of February.