Image copyright AFP Image caption A sea rescue boat moments before it capsized, killing three crew

A rescue boat has overturned in the Atlantic off the west coast of France leaving three crew dead, amid winds of up to 129 km/h (80 mph).

They were part of a crew of seven who had gone to the aid of another boat which had got into difficulty as Storm Miguel struck the area.

Winds of up to 147km/h hit northern Spain earlier, swirling around the Bay of Biscay and moving on to France.

The storm is unusual, coming at the start of the summer tourist season.

Photographs of the National Society of Sea Rescue rescue boat captured it rolling in large swells in the moments before it capsized, after which the vessel ran ashore upside down.

Four of the seven crew aboard the rescue boat managed to swim to shore. Three helicopters and around 60 firefighters were attempting to find the bodies of the three dead.

Image copyright AFP Image caption The National Society of Sea Rescue boat after it capsized

The strongest winds were recorded in the north-western Spanish region of Asturias late on Thursday while earlier there was damage to some buildings in Galicia.

As the storm hit land on the Ile d'Yeu in western France on Friday, forecasters recorded wind speeds of 129km/h.

Down the coast of the Vendée area, off the beach resort of Les Sables-d'Olonne, a crew from the SNSM sea rescue service went to the aid of a fishing boat in trouble and capsized some 800m off shore.

"The sea was quite atrocious," mayor Yannick Moreau told news channel BFMTV. "The boat had a crew of seven and three rescuers have died. It's a big shock for us and a big shock for the whole town."

Ten French departments were placed on orange alert and warned of potential damage, particularly to trees. Rail travel in the west was disrupted by the storm and forecasters said such images were rare in June.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Ten French departments were on alert for the storm

Alerts were also in place further north, with warnings of heavy rain and wind speeds of up to 100 km/h in the western half of the Netherlands.

High winds had already ravaged the Dutch coast in the early hours of Thursday, leading police in the coastal province of Zeeland to stumble on a cocaine laboratory.

When they were alerted to a tree that had fallen during the night, they saw some suspicious men loitering around a barn and noticed a strange smell.

Police said the cocaine lab was one of the biggest ever discovered in the Netherlands. </s> Britain will face more turbulent weather today as Storm Miguel finishes its assault on the country as the sun stays away.

Yet the heavy rain expected for today is set to drift away by this evening, with tomorrow set to be a brighter day with some bursts of sunshine.

The North East of England as well as Scotland will be hit hardest by the storm as large outbreaks of rain will batter the area over the course of the day.

Eastern England could face heavy downpours as Storm Miguel moves into the North Sea and there is also a threat that a band of rain will hit central and northern England as it sweeps eastwards and turns more showery.

Strong winds of up to 35mph are expected for eastern counties over the morning as Storm Miguel continues its onslaught towards the sea.

The wind will affect much of England and Wales and make the outdoors feel cool, but the weather yellow warning in place for parts of the country yesterday have gone.

Southern parts of England and Wales will brighten this afternoon as the rain eases - and this could be the picture for Northern Ireland too.

Most of the rain or showers will gradually die out tonight to leave clear skies, but it will remain cloudier for Northern Ireland and Scotland with some showers lingering.

Temperatures will stay moderate at around 52F (11C) after starting at 61F (16C) this weekend, with London and the South East potentially reaching highs of 68F (20C).

Today in the Midlands will likely be the lowest temperature with it struggling to get above 55F (13C).

Sunny spells and a few showers will follow on Monday - especially northern and central Scotland - but it will be less windy than Saturday and so feel warmer for most of the country.

On Monday, the bad weather will start to subside as the sun breaks through thundery showers with the best of the drier weather in the north and heavy rain in the south.

And it is expected to be followed by more heavy rain on Tuesday.

Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said: 'Miguel is pretty much gone now. It is currently in the North Sea.

'It is wet and rainy in the Midlands. They are feeling the last effects of it in the storm now.

'It is an improving picture from today.'

He said it will be wetter in the Midlands in the next few hours and there will be a maximum of 66F (19C) in the South East today.

The more positive outlook comes after Storm Miguel battered Britain yesterday as it brought thunderstorms and more than an inch of rain in two hours.

After battering Spain with heavy showers and gale-force winds, Miguel first hit the UK on Friday afternoon – with much of southern England, the Midlands and South Wales under a thunderstorm warning from 2pm until 11pm.

Forecasters warned motorists that driving conditions may become hazardous in the rain - while homes and businesses were warned of possible flooding, train services could be disrupted and the potential for power cuts.

Wales was badly affected by the storm, with cars and people left submerged in flash floods and firefighters having to drag them out.

Social media images showed vehicles backlogged on the M4 westbound by Brynglas Tunnels after a lane was closed.

Fire and Rescue services were called to flood-related issues in Rumney, Pentwyn and Llanrumney. </s> Storms have battered the Atlantic coasts of northern Spain and western France, with winds of up to 147km/h (91mph).

Trees were uprooted as Storm Miguel first hit the Spanish region of Asturias, swirled around the Bay of Biscay and then hit the French coast.

The storm is unusual for the time of year, coming at the start of the summer tourist season.

Late on Thursday, wind speeds of 147 km/h were recorded in the north-western Spanish region of Asturias while earlier there was damage to some buildings in Galicia.

As the storm hit land on the Ile d'Yeu in western France on Friday, forecasters recorded wind speeds of 129km/h. Fallen trees were reported in the Vendée area.

Ten French departments were placed on orange alert and warned of potential damage, particularly to trees. Rail travel in the west was disrupted by the storm.

High waves lashed the coast near the port of Royan, and forecasters said such images were rare in June.

Alerts were also in place further north, with warnings of heavy rain and wind speeds of up to 100 km/h in the western half of the Netherlands.

High winds had already ravaged the Dutch coast in the early hours of Thursday, leading police in the coastal province of Zeeland to stumble on a cocaine laboratory.

When they were alerted to a tree that had fallen during the night, they saw some suspicious men loitering around a barn and noticed a strange smell.

Police said the cocaine lab was one of the biggest ever discovered in the Netherlands. </s> Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Winter storm Eleanor wrecked havoc on Europe on Wednesday, bringing heavy winds and flooding and killing three people.

Two people drowned on Spain's northern Basque coast after being hit by a huge wave and a skier was killed in the French Alps by a falling tree.

The storm rocked France, Germany, Switzerland and Netherlands on Wednesday, where thousands of homes are without power after winds reached 100 mph.

In France, 200,000 households lost power and 15 people were injured. In Paris, the Eiffel Tower was closed due to strong winds and parks were closed over worries over falling tree branches.

Eight people were injured in Switzerland after strong winds blew a train carriage off its tracks. Some 14,000 homes were left without power.

The storm also rocked parts of Germany and Austria, where 20 skiers had to be rescued from a cable car in Kitzbühel after winds dislodged an empty car.

High winds are set to batter Britain once again, with the Met Office saying winds of up to 75 mph are likely to move in from the south west of England.

"The strongest winds will affect southwest England and Wales during the morning, moving east to reach eastern parts of England later in the afternoon," the Met Office said.

"Gusts of 50-60 mph are likely fairly widely with some gusts reaching 65-75 mph along exposed coasts and over high ground in the west."

In Ireland, coastal towns are still at risk of heavy flooding.

"Towns along the south and west coast remain at risk because of the arrival of strong winds allied with the high tides," Seán Hogan, the chair of the Government's National Emergency Coordination Group, said.

"That, allied with a particular wind direction and wave conditions like what happened in Galway Bay yesterday, poses a real threat of further flooding along the south and west coast." </s> Northern Ireland, Ireland, Scotland and Northern England all felt the brunt of Storm Ali’s ferocious winds.



Trees were uprooted, tiles thrown from houses and transport faced severe delays when the storm arrived yesterday.



Two people died in wind-related incidents as severe gusts of up to 100mph were recorded in some areas.



Storm season has just begun and is expected to bring yet more fierce weather to the UK.

Storm Bronagh will trigger “very disturbed weather” in Ireland over the coming weekend. 



Bronagh is the second named storm this season and has battered Ireland with rain today, before moving across to England and Wales. 



Heavy downpours and gusts of wind of up to 45mph are predicted to hit across the Midlands, with residents warned to take extra care on the roads. 



Yellow warnings are in place for both wind and rain across most of the UK. 



Rain warnings are in place until 10 pm tonight, affecting North East England, North West England, Wales, Yorkshire & Humber.



Wind warnings are remaining in place for longer, lasting until 9 am tomorrow morning.



Areas affected by strong winds are East Midlands, East of England, London & South East England, North East England, North West England, South West England, Wales, West Midlands, Yorkshire & Humber.



A further storm system is stirring up in the Atlantic Ocean, and if it becomes more powerful could be the third named storm of the season. 



Storm Callum is being monitored by Irish weather service Met Eireann which could develop into a storm reaching Ireland over the weekend.



If it does develop, Storm Callum would impact Ireland late on Saturday evening and has the potential to be “nasty” according to Met Eireann meteorologist Joan Blackburn.



The weather system is being closely monitored, with some models predicting it may not develop into a storm at all she said. 



Ms Blackburn added: “We are aware of it and keeping a close eye on it."

Should Callum materialise it could track across Ireland to the UK, impacting another force of winds and rain. 



Met Eireann said: “This weekend's weather is looking disturbed with the jet stream lying over Ireland, and details are uncertain at this stage. 



“But there is the potential for storm development close to and over Ireland. 



“There is a strong signal that more settled conditions will prevail for early next week as the jet stream moves away northwards.” </s> Waves crash over the stone jetty wall in Aberystwyth in west Wales as Storm Eleanor lashed Britain with violent storm-force winds of up to 100mph, leaving thousands of homes without power and hitting transport links Wednesday Jan. 3, 2018. | AP

PARIS: Winter storm Eleanor swept into France, Belgium and the Netherlands on Wednesday after tearing through England and Northern Ireland, cutting power to tens of thousands of people and forcing airports and train services to halt operations.

A skiier was killed by a falling tree at Morillon in the French Alps while 15 others have been injured by the storm across the country, four of them seriously, civil defence spokesman Michael Bernier told AFP.

Another person was hurt by a falling tree in the southern Dutch village of Heesch.

Heavy winds led the airports in Strasbourg and Basel-Mulhouse on France's border with Germany and Switzerland to close before they were reopened shortly after midday.

At Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport, 60 percent of departures were delayed Wednesday morning, as were a third of arrivals, while a handful of flights had to be rerouted before the winds eased back a bit.

The winds were also wreaking havoc with train services in several French regions.

About 200,000 homes across northern France were without electricity, while "particularly intense" flooding was expected on the Atlantic coasts.

The Eiffel Tower, which attracts six million visitors a year, was closed until at least Wednesday afternoon, while worries about falling tree branches prompted Paris officials to close all city parks for the day.

'Woken people up'

 Eleanor barrelled into continental Europe after whipping across England, Northern Ireland and Ireland, with the Thames Barrier, one of the largest movable flood barriers in the world, closed as a precautionary measure to protect London from swelling tides.

"We have seen some heavy showers push through across the south of the UK along with hail, loud thunder and lightning, which has woken people up," said meteorologist Becky Mitchell.

Gusts of 160 kilometres per hour (100 mph) were recorded at Great Dun Fell in Westmorland, northwest England, while overturned vehicles and trees caused closures of major motorways.

In Ireland, power supply company ESB said electricity had been restored to 123,000 customers, while 27,000 remained without power.

Streets around the docks in Galway on the west coast were flooded after high tides breached the sea defences, prompting the deployment of about two dozen troops to support flood defence efforts.

Flooding and flight delays

 Belgium and parts of Spain were also put on "orange" alert, the third of four warning levels, with officials urging people to exercise caution when venturing out.

Although the winds eased toward midday, rescue workers in Brussels were kept busy with about 70 calls across the city, mainly after trees were knocked down, and several parks were closed.

In the Netherlands, 252 of about 1,200 flights were cancelled at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, a key European hub, as weather alerts were issued for several regions.

Several main roads and train lines were also closed as officials rushed to prepare flooding defences.

Flights were also disrupted at Frankfurt's airport in Germany, where the storm has been baptised Burglind, and at Zurich airport, as Swiss officials urged hikers to avoid forest walks.

RTS television reported that about 14,000 homes were without power in several Swiss cantons.

Eleanor is the fourth major storm to hit Europe since December.

The storm is now heading for the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, where meteorologists are warning of violent gusts that could reach 200 kilometres per hour.

Austria is also in its path, where the avalanche risk was expected to be raised to four on a scale of five in several areas Wednesday afternoon. </s> The second named storm of the season is set to hit the UK just days after Storm Ali battered the UK with winds of more than 90mph.

The Met Office confirmed that Storm Bronagh will bring heavy rain and strong winds to Wales and England tonight (Thursday) and on Friday.

There are already yellow warnings in place for wind and rain over most parts of Wales.

Up to 100mm of rain is forecast to fall across high ground in Wales and Cumbria.

It comes a day after Storm Ali hit the UK with winds of up to 90mph.

The new weather system moving in from the Atlantic has prompted a warning of possible flooding and further travel disruption after storm Ali wreaked havoc as it swept across Britain and Ireland.

While Northern Ireland and Scotland bore the brunt of the blustery conditions on Wednesday, the latest weather front is expected to bring downpours and gusts - albeit not as strong - to Wales and much of England on Thursday.

A yellow weather warning for rain across Wales and the north of England is in place for most of Thursday, while a warning for winds of up to 65mph kicks in from 6pm across much of the rest of England.

Met Office chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: "Although the strongest winds are expected to occur as Storm Bronagh moves offshore into the North Sea, there is a low likelihood of damaging winds in places through this evening and overnight with possible impacts to people travelling in England and Wales."

The unsettled weather is due to last the rest of the week and is caused by a jet stream from Canada, the Met Office said.

A spokesman said: "By Tuesday, we should see some settled weather arrive across the UK as we move onto the southern side of the jet stream."

These are the three weather warnings in place:

Where : Most of south, south-east and east Wales including Swansea, Cardiff, Newport, the south Wales Valleys and most of Powys

What : "Very strong winds" which the Met Office warns could damage buildings with tiles blown from roofs and falling trees and branches.

A spokesperson said there was also a small chance of power cuts, longer journey times, roads and bridges closing and injuries and danger on seafronts through "large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts".

They said: "Most likely is that we will see gusts of 45-50 mph in a few spots inland as well as more widely around exposed coasts. The strong winds will accompanied by short-lived outbreaks of very heavy rain in places."

Where : All of Wales

What : The Met Office warns of
• Spray and flooding on roads probably making journey times longer
• Bus and train services probably affected with journey times taking longer
• Some interruption to power supplies and other services likely
• Flooding of a few homes and business is likely

The Met Office states: "An area of rain is expected to move northeast across many parts of the UK on Thursday. Rain is likely to be most persistent and heaviest across parts of Wales and northwest England.

"Between 40-60 mm of rain is likely widely across the warning area, whilst some of the higher ground of Wales and perhaps Cumbria could see 80-100 mm. In addition to the rain, strong winds and coastal gales can be expected across southern parts of the warning area."

Warning Three: A second very windy spell

Where : All of Wales

What : The Met Office expects a second very windy spell lasting throughout Sunday and into Monday Morning.

Detail on the warning for Sunday and Monday is not as clear, but the Met Office has said there is the potential for a deep area of low pressure to develop and track over the UK bringing a spell of very strong winds and heavy rain.

A spokesman said: "At this stage developments are very uncertain but there is a small chance of disruptive winds developing with parts of England and Wales currently looking most at risk.

"Any strong winds should gradually clear eastwards early on Monday with more settled conditions looking likely to follow next week." </s> France was clearing up Saturday after a massive storm ripped across the country, leaving three dead and thousands of homes without electricity.

Three rescuers from the French ocean rescue service died Friday when their vessel capsized in rough seas as Storm Miguel pummelled the Atlantic coast.

"In late morning, a boat from the SNSM capsized 800 metres from the coast around Les Sables d'Olonne with seven people on board," the local prosecutor's office said in a statement.

Three of them died while four managed to swim to shore, the statement added.

"These tragic deaths have sparked deep emotions within the ocean rescue services," said SNSM chief, Xavier de la Gorce.

The team from the National Society of Sea Rescue (SNSM) had been attempting to help a fishing boat which was struggling in the giant swell caused by storm Miguel, which packed winds of up to 120 kilometres an hour (75 mph).

Maritime officials said the crew was using one of the SNSM's "all weather" vessels, specially designed to be unsinkable and to automatically right itself if capsized.

National electricity company Enedis said meanwhile that 28,000 homes were without power Saturday, with Normandy and northern parts of Acquitaine the worst affected.

"More than 1,000 personnel have been mobilised in the affected regions," it said in a statement.

In Paris meanwhile, a man was seriously injured after a falling tree knocked down a street light which hit him.

Rescue officials said the manwas fighting for his life after the incident in the 19th district in the northeastern part of the city that was hit by high winds. </s> Winds of up to 129 km/h (80 mph) were recorded as Storm Miguel hit the coast of western France.

The storm had already hit northwestern Spain and had come in off the Bay of Biscay.
Three people on a rescue mission are killed when Storm Miguel, with max winds of 129 km/h (80 mph), overturned their National Society of Sea Rescue boat off the west coast of France in the Atlantic Ocean. The storm, unusual at the start of the summer tourist season, hit Spain, the Netherlands and southern England and Wales yesterday and is heading north toward England, Wales and Scotland.