Storm Goretti Sweeps Across Europe

(MENAFN) France and the United Kingdom remained on high alert Thursday as Storm Goretti battered Europe’s Atlantic coastline, unleashing powerful gusts and towering waves, while nations such as Poland, Italy, and Sweden prepared for severe cold and heavy snowfalls.

In northwestern France, storm-force winds and surging seas prompted Meteo-France to announce on the US social media platform X that the Manche region of Normandy was placed under a red wind alert, with several other departments facing orange warnings for gales and coastal flooding.

Manche Prefect Marc Chappuis told a broadcaster that schools would remain closed Friday morning, while entry to parks, gardens, and public maritime areas would be restricted. Calling the weather event "exceptional," he confirmed that a mass alert was sent to mobile phones and that 800 firefighters would be deployed overnight.

Across the Channel, the UK’s Met Office issued an amber wind warning for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, cautioning that the storm could damage infrastructure, disrupt transport with closures and cancellations, and cause widespread power outages.

Meanwhile, a news agency reported that Italy anticipated strong mistral winds from the west, with Calabria and Sicily expected to bear the brunt of heavy rainfall and snow, alongside plunging temperatures in other regions.

Poland also braced for extreme lows of minus 30°C (minus 22°F), leading Warsaw’s mayor to call an emergency meeting of the city’s crisis management team, according to a broadcaster.

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