Power cuts reach 161,000 Breton households as rail lines halt
About 161,000 Breton households lost power while rail traffic was suspended or interrupted across several regions.
Event / Disaster
France Storm Sequence October 2026
A succession of storms, including Storm Austen and Storm Boelo, has affected France in late October 2026. Storm Austen left more than 240,000 households without power in western and northern France on 23 October. Storm Boelo prompted orange rain-flood vigilance in the Pas-de-Calais from the evening of 24 October until 04:00 on 25 October, with forecast rainfall of 30 to 50 mm.
3 reported locations
Daily activity
18 articles3 articles
2026-10-22 to 2026-10-25 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 22 Oct, 08:22 UTC
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What happened
Storm Austen places five French departments on orange wind alert
Météo-France issued orange wind alerts for five departments in western France due to Storm Austen. The Finistère, Côtes-d'Armor, and Morbihan were placed on alert starting at 22:00 on October 22, 2026. The Manche and Ille-et-Vilaine were added to the alert from midnight onward. The alert was scheduled to remain in effect until midnight on October 25, 2026.
Meteorological warning issued for potential storm surge in northern Brittany
Météo-France indicated that an orange-level 'waves-submersion' alert was possible for departments in northern Brittany on the morning of October 25, 2026. This warning reflected the combination of high wave heights and storm surge risk despite a low tidal coefficient.
Storm Austen brings violent winds with gusts up to 140 km/h on French coast
Storm Austen brought extreme wind gusts across western France. Wind speeds of 100-110 km/h were expected inland, with occasional gusts reaching 120 km/h. Coastal areas experienced the most severe conditions, with gusts reaching 130-140 km/h. In the Iroise Sea, waves were forecast to reach 11-13 meters in height, creating dangerous maritime conditions.
SNCF suspends and reduces train service due to Storm Austen
French railway operator SNCF announced significant disruptions to train service in response to Storm Austen. Rail service was completely suspended on Norman lines on October 25, 2026, and partially suspended on Breton and Northern lines. Additional disruptions were expected on October 26, 2026.
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2 alternative perspectives
Overnight gusts reach 140 km/h as orange alerts expand across France
Storm Austen's overnight gusts reached 140 km/h, and 23 departments are now under orange wind vigilance.
Yellow wind alerts extend to inland departments including Mayenne, Essonne and Aube
Several inland departments are under yellow wind vigilance, with the strongest gusts forecast for Friday.
Waves of 6 to 9 metres forecast along Breton coasts
Forecast 6 to 9 metre waves raise wave-submersion risk on Breton coasts, with alerts spreading south-westward.
SNCF suspends and reduces train services across western France
SNCF suspends and reduces train services across western France during Storm Austen.
Five French departments face orange alert as winds reach 140 km/h
Five French departments face orange alert with winds up to 140 km/h and potential storm surge.