Brittany placed on red wind alert

On Thursday, three departments will be under a red wind alert, with 17 others designated as orange alerts. A significant portion of northwestern France is bracing for the onslaught of the severe autumn storm, Ciaran, expected to unleash gusts of up to 170 km/h, accompanied by heavy rainfall.

Starting at midnight on Wednesday until 10am on Thursday, Finistère, Côtes-d'Armor, and La Manche will be placed under the highest level of alert – red wind alert, as announced by Météo-France in its first bulletin on Wednesday morning.

The first two of these departments will also be on orange alert for "rain and flooding" and "waves and submergence," while La Manche has been upgraded to an orange alert for "waves and submergence."

A total of 17 departments will be under an orange alert for waves and submergence, wind, or rain and flooding, as reported by Météo-France.

These departments encompass an area spanning from Gironde to the Hauts de France region, including Nord, Pas-de-Calais, Somme, Oise, Brittany, and Normandy.

The anticipated fierce winds will coincide with substantial rainfall, with accumulations of 30 to 50 mm in a six-hour period expected over Finistère, Morbihan, and Côtes d'Armor, as indicated by France's national weather service.

Ciaran, the first significant storm of the autumn season, is slated to impact the tip of Brittany before midnight on Wednesday. Coastal areas may witness gusts ranging from 130 to 150 km/h, with inland regions experiencing gusts of up to 130 km/h, according to François Gourand, a forecaster at Météo-France.

The second phase of the storm, anticipated to be the most potent, is forecasted for the latter half of the night, primarily affecting Finistère, Côtes-d'Armor, and Cotentin. Gusts during this phase could reach a maximum of 170 km/h in the most exposed coastal regions.

In the face of this potentially devastating storm, the authorities have stepped up their calls for caution.

The Minister of the Interior has disclosed plans to mobilise 3,200 firefighters across four departments in Brittany, namely Côtes-d'Armor, Ille-et-Vilaine, Finistère, and Morbihan, in addition to Manche and Loire-Atlantique.

Notably, the Finistère department, anticipated to bear the brunt of the storm, will witness an increased deployment of over 650 firefighters during the night of Wednesday to Thursday, as opposed to the usual 250. In addition, more than 435 gendarmes will be on duty, as explained by Prefect Alain Espinasse during a press briefing.

Prefect Espinasse issued a stern warning, highlighting the potential hazards, stating, "There is a high likelihood of road closures and falling trees." He urged the population to avoid travel, particularly after 9pm, to stay indoors as much as possible, and to steer clear of coastal areas.

Waves of up to 10 metres

Three Breton departments on orange alert in anticipation of the "very strong autumn storm" Ciaran, which will hit the north-western quarter of France starting from Wednesday evening with gusts reaching up to 170 km/h. / © AFP

Anticipating the arrival of this powerful storm, France's national railway company, SNCF, announced the suspension of all TER lines in Brittany, Pays de la Loire, Normandy, Centre-Val-de-Loire, and Hauts-de-France regions on Thursday.

TGV services will operate exclusively between Paris and Rennes for Brittany, omitting Brest, Quimper, or Saint-Malo. However, the Paris-Lille connections will remain operational.

The Brest airport will close from 5pm on Wednesday until 9.30am on Thursday. Concurrently, boat services to the islands will experience significant disruptions or complete suspensions.

After Brittany and Normandy, the storm is projected to traverse the Pays de la Loire, Poitou-Charentes, and Hauts-de-France regions on Thursday morning. In Hauts-de-France, coastal areas may encounter winds ranging from 120 to 140 km/h, with inland regions facing gusts of 100 to 120 km/h, according to Météo-France.

The turbulent winds are accompanied by a potential risk of high seas, waves, and submergence. Olivier Caumont, head of forecasting operations at Météo-France, cautioned during a press briefing that this perilous condition could persist from the early hours of Thursday until mid-afternoon.

The Maritime prefecture issued a stark reminder of safety guidelines, warning of waves reaching heights of eight to ten metres on the Atlantic coast. Citizens are strongly advised to postpone sea outings, avoid mooring checks, and refrain from coastal travel, whether by foot or car.