BRUSSELS / ISTANBUL

Storm Goretti swept across western France overnight, bringing violent winds, coastal flooding and widespread disruption, leaving around 380,000 households without electricity, according to French grid operator Enedis.

Power outages were reported across several western regions as powerful wind gusts battered the country from Thursday night into Friday morning. In the Manche department of Normandy, a wind gust of 213 kilometers per hour was recorded in the commune of Gatteville, broadcaster BFMTV reported.

The storm also knocked out telecommunications infrastructure, leaving more than 400 mobile network antennas offline across Normandy, BFMTV said.

Authorities reported extensive damage in several areas, where fallen trees blocked roads and damaged power lines, prompting emergency services to work throughout the night to clear debris and restore access to affected communities.

In Barfleur, where the strongest gusts were recorded, winds averaged over 100 kilometers per hour for more than two hours, with a 10-minute average peak of 118 kilometers per hour at 12.12 am local time (2312 GMT), authorities said.

Off the coast of Brittany, Meteo-France reported waves reaching heights of 10 to 13 meters, particularly near Belle-Ile-en-Mer and Ouessant.

In the Somme department, the coastal town of Cayeux-sur-Mer experienced flooding of up to 40 centimeters in some streets, according to the prefecture.

As a precaution, all schools, colleges and high schools in the Manche and Seine-Maritime departments remained closed Friday, with school transportation services also suspended.

Rail traffic was also heavily disrupted. The French national rail operator SNCF said several train services were canceled across northern France due to severe weather conditions, advising passengers to check updates before traveling.

Regarding casualties, the Interior Ministry earlier said at least six people suffered minor injuries nationwide, with no serious injuries reported as of 8 am local time (0700 GMT). However, later reports from regional prefectures and firefighters cited by France Bleu indicated that around 28 people sustained minor injuries during the storm.

The prefect of Manche, Marc Chappuis, described Goretti as an “exceptional weather event,” confirming that eight people were slightly injured in the department, with two hospitalized as a precaution.

In the Nord department, authorities reported a serious injury after a 26-year-old man fell from a roof while attempting to reinstall a tile during the storm.

Meteo-France said most violent wind alerts across the country had been lifted by Friday morning, with only the Landes and Pyrenees-Atlantiques departments remaining under orange alert for strong winds.