The French Alps were on maximum avalanche alert on Thursday as Storm Eleanor swept through Europe, killing at least four people and thousands of homes without power as Storm Eleanor arrives in Britain.
“The objective is to keep everyone safe,” said David Ponson, ski chief in the Alpine region of Savoie, as many pistes were shut for a second day.
At the other extreme, nearly 400 firefighters on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica were battling blazes fanned by Eleanor’s strong gusts of wind, with three people injured in a fire overnight.
Three hundred goats were killed in the blaze at Chiatra-Canale di Verde, near the island’s east coast, and 10 homes were burnt, five of them completely destroyed, local authorities said.
On Thursday, fire fighters said a woman in her 90s died of a heart attack in Crets-en-Belledonne, in the French Alps, after floods sent a torrent of mud and water into her home.
In Lenk, in central Switzerland, eight people were hurt when a violent gust of wind overturned a railway carriage.
More than 40 towns in south-west Spain have brought forward their Epiphany parades – celebrating the coming of the three wise men with gifts for Jesus – to Thursday because of heavy rain forecast for Friday.
The Environment Agency issued 65 flood warnings and dozens of alerts across the country. Experts also warned that road, rail and air travel, including ferries could be disrupted.
Northern Ireland Electricity Networks said it restored supply to 10,000 properties but another 12,000 would be without power overnight. A spokesman said: “It’s very difficult to make repairs because we have to think about the safety of our employees, most repairs will start at first light.”
The UK Met Office said flying debris could lead to injuries or danger to life and warned that buildings could be damaged and power lines could be cut by the storm.
It said: “Along west-facing coasts, injuries and danger to life is likely from large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, seafronts and properties.”
>Juthy Saha
