Regional trains stopped running at midday on Friday in several Hauts-de-France and Normandy departments, placed on orange alert for the arrival of storm Eunice, while ferry traffic with the United Kingdom was interrupted.
“No major damage” had however been recorded on the Hauts-de-France network at midday, the SNCF regional service told AFP.
At the end of the morning, gusts reached 110 km / h at Cap Gris-Nez in Pas-de-Calais, and might exceed 140 km / h locally on the coast in the followingnoon, according to Météo-France.
The maximum risk of submersion is in the Bay of Somme, said the organization.
Five departments, Nord (59), Manche (50), Pas-de-Calais (62), Somme (80), and Seine-Maritime (76) are on orange alert until 6 p.m. due to strong winds.
The last three are also on orange alert until 3:00 p.m. for the risk of submersion.
Access to the beach was prohibited in the seaside resort of Le Touquet as well as in several coastal towns, such as Wimereux (Pas-de-Calais), where the municipal police blocked access to the dikes to onlookers.
In this locality, a hairdresser barricaded his window overlooking the seafront, noted an AFP journalist.
Access to parks and gardens has been closed in many localities, and the prefectures have called for people to avoid the seaside and forests, limit risky activities and inquire before any trip.
The circulation of the TER connecting Paris to Amiens, Saint-Quentin, Beauvais and Laon, has been maintained, as well as that of the TGV between Paris and Lille or Calais. Those traveling on conventional lines (Paris-Valenciennes or Dunkirk) are however suspended.
In Normandy, traffic is also disrupted, and the regional rail network closed to traffic from 12 p.m.
The estimated resumption of traffic throughout the impacted area is expected on Saturday, according to the SCNF.
Losc, who play once morest Metz on Friday evening, announced that the players would “exceptionally” not arrive in public on the forecourt of the stadium due to the wind, calling on supporters to go directly to the stadium.
According to Météo-France, which recalls that in February 2020, the Ciara storm had been more violent, the wind values are however “not exceptional” for the season.
In the UK, large swaths of the country, including London, were placed on maximum weather alert on Friday.
