France is grappling with the aftermath of Storm Nils, as several regions remain under threat of flooding. Portugal and Spain have also been affected by a series of storms that have swept across the Iberian peninsula in recent weeks.
The aftermath of Storm Nils continued to disrupt parts of France on Friday. While wind alerts were lifted, some areas remain at risk for flooding, according to State forecaster Météo-France.
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"We’re stepping up vigilance because the outlook over the next 48 hours is uncertain," said La Réole town councillor Vincent Gorse, as the River Garonne continues to rise in the town of Gironde. Twelve people have had to be rehoused in an emergency shelter.
The storm claimed the lives of at least two people, government spokesperson Maud Bregeon told local media.
On Thursday, a lorry driver died after a tree branch fell on his vehicle near Dax in south-west France. The second victim was a man who was found in his garden in Tarn-et-Garonne.
Storm Nils also left hundreds of thousands of people without energy.
Network operator Enedis said up to 900,000 customers were left without power at the peak of the storm. The operator restored service to about half of those affected by Friday morning and mobilised 3,000 personnel, including 2,100 technicians.
"Flooding complicates repairs because the fields are waterlogged and some roads are blocked," Enedis crisis director Herve Champenois said at a press briefing Thursday.
The storm arrived late on Wednesday evening and swept across western France before moving southeast towards the Mediterranean coast and Corsica. Météo-France said the storm, which has moved on tracking east into Europe, had “uncommon strength".
Iberian peninsula hit by back-to-back storms
Portugal and Spain were also impacted by the storm, with one fatality reported in Spain after a roof of an industrial warehouse collapsed on a woman, authorities said.
Dozens more were also injured in weather-related incidents in Spain, and a viaduct in Portugal partially collapsed because of flooding.
The Iberian peninsula has been battered by back-to-back storms over the past few weeks, leaving widespread destruction as the region struggles to recover from the prolonged periods of heavy rain and deadly floods.
Scientists say human-driven climate change is increasing the length, intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, such as floods and heatwaves.