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.
11 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
Train traffic interrupted on Normandy lines and partially on Breton and northern lines
On Friday 23 October 2026, SNCF interrupted train traffic on the Normandy lines and partially on the Breton and northern lines. SNCF announced that disruptions were expected on Saturday 24 October.
Météo-France forecasts gusts up to 140 km/h on the Manche coast
Météo-France forecast gusts of up to 120 km/h inland and 130 to 140 km/h on the coast in the Manche department on 23 October 2026. Winds were not expected to ease substantially until late afternoon.
Manche prefecture restricts movement along the coastline, including beach access
The prefecture of the Manche department issued an order restricting travel near the coastline, including restricting access to beaches, and called for caution during the storm.
Storm Austen is the first autumn storm of the year, arriving during a period of drought-weakened vegetation
Storm Austen is the first autumn storm of the year in France. Vegetation was described as weakened by the intense drought of the summer of 2026 at the time the storm arrived.
Météo-France places 23 departments under orange wind vigilance on 23 October 2026
On Friday 23 October 2026, Météo-France placed 23 departments of mainland France under orange wind vigilance, with eight departments added during the morning. The departments include all of Île-de-France and all of Hauts-de-France, along with Brittany, Normandy and Loire-Atlantique. The Oise and Aisne were scheduled to switch to orange at midday.
Storm Austen reaches the tip of Brittany on the evening of 22 October 2026
Storm Austen, a low-pressure system, reached the western tip of Brittany on the evening of 22 October 2026. On 23 October it moved northeast across northwestern France, affecting Normandy, the Hauts-de-France and Île-de-France during the day.
Wind gusts of 120 to 140 km/h recorded overnight in Brittany and western Manche
Overnight from 22 to 23 October 2026, wind gusts of 120 to 140 km/h were recorded on the Breton coast and the western Manche department. Gusts of 90 to 110 km/h were recorded in Finistère.
About 161,000 households left without electricity at 7 a.m. on 23 October
At 7 a.m. on 23 October 2026, approximately 161,000 households were without electricity, with 128,000 in Brittany, 19,000 in the Pays de la Loire and 14,000 in Normandy, according to the grid operator Enedis.
Route du Rhum village in Saint-Malo closed on Friday morning
The Route du Rhum village in Saint-Malo, which is expected to host more than one million people before the solo transatlantic race starts on 1 November 2026, was closed on the morning of Friday 23 October 2026 due to the storm.
Météo-France says Storm Austen's track is uncertain and neighboring departments may be upgraded
Météo-France stated that the trajectory of Storm Austen remains uncertain and that departments near those under orange vigilance could be raised to a higher alert level. It is monitoring the Pas-de-Calais, already under orange vigilance, which it described as weakened by previous days of rain.
SNCF Réseau suspends train traffic on numerous lines in Île-de-France on Friday
SNCF Réseau preventively suspended train circulation on numerous lines in Île-de-France on Friday 23 October 2026 and limited the speed of trains and RER lines. The decision was announced on the evening of 22 October. Services were to resume progressively once safety checks were completed.
Rain and gusts up to 45 km/h forecast in Essonne on Saturday 24 October
Rain and wind gusts of up to 45 km/h are forecast in Essonne on Saturday 24 October 2026.
Pyrénées-Atlantiques placed under yellow wave-submersion vigilance from noon Friday
The Pyrénées-Atlantiques department is placed under yellow wave-submersion vigilance from 12:00 on Friday 23 October 2026, in connection with storm Austen.
Waves of 6 to 9 metres forecast on Breton coasts
Waves of six to nine metres are forecast to break on the coasts of Brittany as storm Austen passes.
Three Breton departments to be placed under orange vigilance from 22:00 Thursday
Three departments in Brittany will be placed under orange weather vigilance starting at 22:00 on Thursday 22 October 2026, ahead of storm Austen.
Gusts up to 90 km/h forecast in Mayenne, peaking around 14:00 Friday
Gusts of up to 90 km/h are forecast across Mayenne on Friday 23 October 2026, with the peak of the storm expected around 14:00.
Mayenne placed under yellow vigilance for violent winds from the night of 22 October
Mayenne is placed under yellow weather vigilance for violent winds during the night of Thursday 22 to Friday 23 October 2026 as storm Austen passes.
Pyrénées-Atlantiques and coastal Nouvelle-Aquitaine placed under yellow vigilance from 06:00 Friday
The Pyrénées-Atlantiques department and all coastal departments of Nouvelle-Aquitaine are placed under yellow weather vigilance from 06:00 on Friday 23 October 2026, in connection with storm Austen.
Essonne placed under yellow violent wind vigilance for Friday 23 October
Météo-France has placed the Essonne department under yellow vigilance for violent winds for Friday 23 October 2026, linked to the passage of storm Austen.
Mayenne civil protection advises limiting travel and avoiding forests
The civil protection service of Mayenne advises residents to limit their travel, avoid walks in forests, secure objects that could be carried away by wind, and exercise caution on the roads.
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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.