Hurricane and torrential rains were distributed throughout the continent ranging from Spain to France. Northern Spain was under strong hurricane-force wind, whereby the roof of a sports hall was blown down near Barcelona, killing four children. Another 11 deaths were reported separately in Spain and southwestern France as the fiercest storm swept through from the Atlantic.
The strongest storm was reported to have been concentrated on the French southwestern region, which has been described by BBC meteorologist as the most damaging since December 1999. Winds and torrential rains were reported to have reached an all time high of 172km/h (107mph). Power supplies have been cut off, leaving more than 1.5 million homes in France without access to electricity. Roads, railway links, and airports were impaired as well.
The storm is expected to leave southeast coast of France, while heading towards northern Italy and the Adriatic.
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