Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Winter storm Eleanor has swept into most of northern Europe

Three people have died as winter storm Eleanor swept across most of northern Europe, causing widescale disruption.

A skier died in the French Alps and 15 others were injured elsewhere in the country, four of them seriously.

Two people were killed when they were swept away by a huge wave on Spain's northern Basque coast.

The storm, which hit most of northern Europe after battering the UK, has also cut power to tens of thousands of homes and affected transport.

Winds reached up to 100mph (160km/h) in the UK and 147km/h (90mph) in France.

Storm Eleanor is the UK's fifth named storm of the season.

In northern France, the storm cut power to more than 200,000 households and Eleanor is set to move to other regions throughout the day, including Corsica.

Air travel was also disrupted in the capital, Paris, and in the east of the country.

In Paris, the Eiffel Tower was closed because of the strong winds. The city's parks have also been closed until the storm dies down because of worries over falling tree branches.

A skier was killed by a falling tree in Morillon, in the Haute-Savoie region of eastern France.

Image copyright EPA Image caption A train overturned near Lenk in central Switzerland, lightly injuring several people

Image copyright EPA Image caption A lorry overturned on a busy road in Switzerland

Image copyright AFP Image caption A roof lies in pieces in a street in Stuttgart, south-western Germany, after the storm

In Germany, the storm - named Burglind there - has swept over much of the country. It packed gusts of more than 120km/h (70mph) in the west of the country and led to transport disruption, reports say.

Switzerland has also been badly hit, with some 14,000 homes without power, and several injured after a train was blown off its tracks.

The high winds left several people stranded in a ski lift in St Gallen canton, overturned a light airplane in Stans and snapped the 13m (42ft) high Christmas tree in the capital Bern, Reuters news agency reports.

Meanwhile, record wind gusts of 195km/h (122mph) were recorded on Pilatus Peak near the Swiss city of Lucerne, broadcaster SRF reported.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Waves pound the seafront in Auderville, Normandy

Belgium was put on "orange" alert, the third of four warning levels, with officials urging people to be cautious when going out because of tree branches and other flying objects.

In the Netherlands, gusts of more than 110km/h (68mph) were recorded as hundreds of flights were cancelled at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport.

One person was hit by a falling tree, and several main roads and train lines were also closed.

Dutch authorities have, for the first time, shut all five major sea barriers to prevent flooding, as large areas of the country are below sea level.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption A car drives along a flooded road in Merseyside, UK

In the UK thousands of homes are without power and travel has been disrupted after Storm Eleanor hit there.

The Met Office recorded gusts reaching 100mph (160km/h) overnight on Wednesday with a weather yellow warning still in place for Wales, England, most of Northern Ireland and parts of southern Scotland.

In the Republic of Ireland, 97mph gusts were recorded, and there was flooding, travel disruption and damage to buildings.</s>Winter storm Eleanor reached Europe on Wednesday, bringing heavy winds and flooding and leaving at least three people dead.

The storm battered France, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands on Wednesday, after hitting the U.K., where thousands of homes are still without power and winds reached 100 miles per hour, according to the BBC.

A skier in the French Alps died after being hit by a falling tree, the New York reported. Two people died on the northern coast of Spain after being swept away by a wave, according to the BBC. And several people were injured after winds blew a train off its tracks in Switzerland.

About 200,000 households in France lost electricity as a result of the storm, the Associated Press reported, while strong winds caused flight delays at major airports in Paris and Amsterdam.</s>PARIS: Winter storm Eleanor swept across Europe, bringing death, damage and disruption, snarling transport networks and cutting power to tens of thousands of people.

Two people died on Spain’s northern Basque coast, the couple swept away by a huge wave, officials said, and another person had to be rescued after attempting to save them.

In France, a 21-year-old skier was killed by a falling tree at Morillon in the Alps where dangerous conditions forced the closure of several resorts.

More than a dozen others were injured by the storm across France, four seriously, civil defence spokesman Michael Bernier told AFP as the country was lashed by what meteorologists termed the strongest winds in eight years.

On the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, where gusts of up to 140 kilometres per hour (85 miles per hour) were recorded, winds fanned the flames of forest and scrub fires started by downed power lines, leaving three people injured.

At Lenk in central Switzerland, eight people were hurt when a violent gust of wind overturned a railway carriage while one person was injured by a falling tree in the southern Dutch village of Heesch.

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

At Paris´s Charles de Gaulle airport, most departures were delayed Wednesday morning and a handful of flights had to be rerouted before the winds eased.

The weather wreaked havoc with train services and motorway access in several French regions, the result of fallen trees, electrical lines and other debris.

About 225,000 homes across France were without electricity, while “particularly intense” flooding was expected on the Atlantic coasts.

The Eiffel Tower had to turn away tourists in the morning because of the gusts before reopening later.

Eleanor barrelled into continental Europe after whipping across England 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,” said meteorologist Becky Mitchell.

Gusts of 160 kph 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.

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.

In the Netherlands, more than 250 flights were cancelled at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, a key European hub, as weather alerts were issued for several regions.

Dutch authorities for the first time closed all of the five storm surge barriers on the country´s North Sea coast, the transport ministry said.

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.

Most ski resorts in the Swiss and northern French Alps, where gusts reached 250 kph at Les Arcs resort.

“You´re better off staying in front of the fire today,” said David Ponson, a ski official in Savoie.

Eleanor is the fourth major storm to hit Europe since December.</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>Winter storm Eleanor has swept into most of northern Europe, including France and Germany after battering the UK, cutting power to tens of thousands of homes and affecting transport.

Nine people were hurt in the wake of the storm in France, where gusts of more than 110km/h (70 mph) were recorded.

In the Netherlands, one person was injured as a tree fell.

Storm Eleanor is the fifth named storm of the season.
• Storm Eleanor disruption and homes without power in UK

In northern France, the storm cut power to more than 200,000 households and Eleanor is set to move to other regions throughout the day, including Corsica, where gusts could reach 200km/h.

Air travel was also disrupted in the capital, Paris, and in the east of the country.

In Paris, the Eiffel Tower was closed because of the strong winds, with gusts of up to 100km/h expected. The city's parks have also been closed until the storm dies down because of worries over falling tree branches

In Germany, the storm - named Burglind there - has swept over much of the country. It packed gusts of more than 120km/h in the west of the country and led to transport disruption, reports say.

Switzerland - where it was reported that about 14,000 homes were without power - and Austria, where the avalanche risk was expected to be raised to four on a scale of five in several areas, have also been affected.

Belgium was put on "orange" alert, the third of four warning levels, with officials urging people to be cautious when going out because of tree branches and other flying objects.

In the Netherlands, more than 200 flights were cancelled at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport. Several main roads and train lines were also closed.

In the UK thousands of homes are without power and travel has been disrupted after Storm Eleanor hit there.

The Met Office recorded gusts reaching 100mph (161km/h) overnight with a weather yellow warning still in place for Wales, England, most of Northern Ireland and parts of southern Scotland.

In the Republic of Ireland, 97mph gusts were recorded, and there was flooding, travel disruption and damage to buildings.</s>Winter storm Eleanor swept across Europe on Wednesday, causing widespread damage and disruptions that have snarled transport and cut power to tens of thousands of people.

A 21-year-old skier was killed by a falling tree at Morillon in the French Alps while 15 people 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 forced authorities to close the airports in Strasbourg and Basel-Mulhouse on France`s border with Germany and Switzerland before they were reopened shortly after midday.

At Paris`s Charles de Gaulle airport, where gusts of up to 134 kilometres per hour (83 mph) were recorded, 60 percent of departures were delayed Wednesday morning, as were a third of arrivals. A handful of flights had to be rerouted before the winds eased back slightly.

The winds were also wreaking havoc with train services and motorway access in several French regions, the result of fallen trees, cable lines and other objects.

About 225,000 homes across France were without electricity, while "particularly intense" flooding was expected on the Atlantic coasts.

The Eiffel Tower, which had to turn away tourists in the morning because of the gusts, reopened at 3:30 pm (1430 GMT), though access to the top deck remained off-limits as required when winds exceed 80 kph.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 kph (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.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.

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.

Most ski resorts in the Swiss and northern French Alps were closed, with average gusts of 150 kph but which had reached 250 kph at France`s Les Arcs resort.

"You`re better off staying in front of the fire today," said David Ponson, a ski official in Savoie.

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 kph.</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>Heavy winds led the airports in Strasbourg and Basel-Mulhouse on France's border with Germany and Switzerland to close after gusts of more than 110 kilometers per hour were recorded

PARIS, France – Winter storm Eleanor swept into France, Belgium and the Netherlands on Wednesday, January 3, after tearing through England and Northern Ireland, cutting power to tens of thousands while forcing airports and train services to halt operations.

Heavy winds led the airports in Strasbourg and Basel-Mulhouse on France's border with Germany and Switzerland to close after gusts of more than 110 kilometers per hour (70 mph) were recorded, France's civil aviation authority told AFP, before they were reopened shortly after midday.

Nine people were reported injured in France – four critically – and another in the Netherlands after a tree fell on a person in the southern village of Heesch.

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 as officials issued severe weather warnings for 44 departments until early Thursday.

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.

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 kmh 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 defenses, prompting the deployment of about two dozen troops to support flood defense efforts.

Belgium was also put on "orange" alert, the third of four warning levels, with officials urging people to exercise caution when venturing out, in particular because of falling tree branches and other objects.

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 main 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 defenses.

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.

Eleanor is now heading for the French Alps, where several ski areas have shut down lifts, and Corsica, where meteorologists are warning of "violent" gusts that could reach 200 kilometres per hour on the island's northern tip.

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. – Rappler.com</s>LONDON (AP) — A violent storm packing winds of up to 100 miles per hour battered many parts of western Europe Wednesday, wreaking havoc on transport and leaving hundreds of thousands of homes across France, Switzerland, Britain and Ireland without power.

In Switzerland, the storm canceled flights at Zurich and Basel airports and toppled a truck on a Swiss highway. Thousands of households at Lake Zurich were left without power, and firefighters were called to help with toppled trees blocking streets and flooding due to heavy rains.

In England, the storm brought hail and lightning and closed some bridges and road. Extremely high tides caused the partial collapse of a harbor wall in Cornwall in southwestern England, bringing seawater flooding in.

Overturned vehicles forced officials to close portions of three major highways in England. The country's main weather forecaster, the Met Office, says gusts reached 100 mph in Cumbria, 280 miles (450 kilometers) northwest of London, early Wednesday morning when the storm peaked.

The storm then crossed the English Channel to damage power systems in France and Germany. Forecasters said gusts of up to 80 mph are possible Wednesday.

France's national electricity provider says it left some 200,000 households without electricity across the country, including 30,000 in the Paris region.

The windstorm battered northern France with winds surpassing 90 mph — some of the worst winds to hit France in years. Many posted photos of destroyed cars, collapsed scaffolding and uprooted trees on social media.

In the Paris region a falling tree hit a car and seriously injured one person, while another resident was seriously hurt falling from a building. In total, the Interior Ministry said nine people in France were injured, with four said to be in serious condition following accidents caused by the winds.

Strong winds also caused problems at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, with slight delays stemming from precautions being taken to safely get travelers into aircraft.

In Germany, zoos were closed, roads were flooded and a train derailed as the storm battered many regions.

The German news agency dpa reported Wednesday that a train derailed near Luenen in western Germany when it crashed against a tree that had fallen on the tracks. No injuries were reported.

Highways near Duisburg and Juelich in the west were also partially blocked because of toppled trees and flooding.

The zoos in Munich and Augsburg in Bavaria closed for the day and the rack railway leading up on Germany's tallest mountain, the Zugspitze, was also shut down because of the storm.

Thomas Adamson in Paris and Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>At Lenk in central Switzerland, eight people were hurt when a violent gust of wind overturned a railway carriage while one person was injured by a falling tree in the southern Dutch village of Heesch.

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

At Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport, most departures were delayed Wednesday morning and a handful of flights had to be rerouted before the winds eased.

The weather wreaked havoc with train services and motorway access in several French regions, the result of fallen trees, electrical lines and other debris.

About 225,000 homes across France were without electricity, while "particularly intense" flooding was expected on the Atlantic coasts.

The Eiffel Tower had to turn away tourists in the morning because of the gusts before reopening later.

Eleanor barrelled into continental Europe after whipping across England 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," said meteorologist Becky Mitchell.

Gusts of 160 kph 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.

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.

In the Netherlands, more than 250 flights were cancelled at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, a key European hub, as weather alerts were issued for several regions.

Dutch authorities for the first time closed all of the five storm surge barriers on the country's North Sea coast, the transport ministry said.

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.

Most ski resorts in the Swiss and northern French Alps, where gusts reached 250 kph at Les Arcs resort.

"You're better off staying in front of the fire today," said David Ponson, a ski official in Savoie.

Eleanor is the fourth major storm to hit Europe since December.
Winter storm Eleanor moves from the British Isles to continental Europe with one dead in France as well as injuries and material losses in Germany, Netherlands and Switzerland.