France: Power outages reported in eastern France December 20

Event

Widespread power outages have been reported across eastern France as of the morning (local time) on Friday, December 20, due to heavy winds. At least 140,000 households are without power as of Friday, notably in the Auvergne, Puy-de-Dôme, Loire, Rhône, and Ardèche departments. Orange weather warnings have been issued in 16 eastern departments due to strong wind gusts, heavy rains, and flooding in the forecast. The alert, issued at 10:00 on Friday, is expected to remain in effect until at least 06:00 on Saturday, December 21.

Significant transportation disruptions have also been reported as fallen trees and damaged power lines forced several road closures. Train services were also delayed or canceled overnight on Thursday, between Saint-Etienne and Lyon. Firemen have been deployed in the affected areas, though no casualties have been reported as of the morning.

Further power outages and disruptions to transportation are expected in the coming hours as heavy winds continue to impact the region.

Advice

Individuals in the affected areas are advised to monitor local weather reports and prepare for transportation disruptions (including road closures).