Storm
Nelson
is ruining the Easter holidays in France and Britain. An isothermal phenomenon that causes cooling caused snow to fall in Brest, Brittany, this Thursday, when the European spring begins, and in Vendée, on the Atlantic Ocean. On the French Riviera there are winds of 100 kilometers per hour, which will reach 130 K, floods. In the Morbihan the waves exceed 10 meters. The bad weather will intensify on Friday.
Météo France has placed six departments on
orange alert due to violent winds.
Gusts of 183 km/h were recorded at Pointe du Raz, a particularly exposed tourist resort in Finistère.
A strong gust of wind already caused damage on Wednesday afternoon on the island of Yeu in the Vendée, with a tornado. Gusts of more than 100 km/h have been recorded in coastal towns. For example, Météo-France recorded winds of 122 km/h in Sibiril and 119 km/h in Brest (Finistère).
The low pressure center of Storm Nelson continues to approach northeastern France.
“A wind is generally considered violent, and therefore dangerous, when its speed reaches 80 km/h with medium wind and 100 km/h with gusts inland,” explains Météo-France.
Therefore, the French meteorological service calls on the population of the affected departments to
limit movements
, to be careful with falling trees and objects and not to work on roofs.
Giant waves and hurricane-force winds hit a lighthouse in Les Sables-d'Olonne, western France, this Thursday. Photo: AFP
Parks close in Paris
In Paris, the mayor's office ordered the closure of parks, squares and gardens from Thursday at noon, as well as cemeteries, "until further orders", pending strong winds between Thursday and Friday. They recommend not leaving the house, being cautious, not walking through the Bois de Boulogne and the Bois de Vincennes and not descending into the basements of houses and buildings.
Storms are expected for Friday without respite. After the passage of Storm Nelson, tomorrow's weather will remain unstable. Stormy rain was forecast between the southwest and northeast. The degradation was expected to begin overnight Thursday.
Due to the storm,
several train lines were interrupted this Thursday.
This is the case of Normandy. In Brittany and Pays de la Loire, routes are also interrupted or modified. The SNCF therefore invites travelers to check the timetables on the corresponding sites.
Floods and fierce winds on the Côte d'Azur
Wind also in the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean basin. As Météo-France indicates, the wind also blows over the Pyrenees, at 90/100 km/h, "or even 100/120 km/h in the Basque mountains."
Storm Nelson also hit Brighton, Great Britain. Photo: REUTERS
Furthermore, “strong waves, associated with high sea level, cause marine submergence in the east of the Mediterranean basin and, more particularly, on the Var coast.”
The Var department is also on orange alert. Significant gusts of wind are expected in France on Thursday.
A few hours before the storm reached the west of the country,
a tornado
hit the Isle of Yeu, with around sixty houses affected, roof tiles torn off and trees uprooted. According to the department's SDIS, one person was slightly injured.
In Britain Storm Nelson is producing terrifying winds. An Easy Jet plane, coming from Portugal, was forced to abort a landing at Gatwick Airport.
The entire island is affected by strong winds and a lot of rain. It also snowed overnight on Dartmoor, Devon and Wales.
C.B.