One killed as storm lashes France

A powerful storm with gusting winds lashed France today, knocking out power to 400,000 homes. One pedestrian was killed when a billboard collapsed in Paris.

The northern, western and central regions of the country were the worst hit, with France’s weather service saying wind gusts reaching 92mph – and 85mph on top of the Eiffel Tower.

The weather alert was raised to orange – the second the highest of four levels - for 26 of the country's 95 regions.

French power company EDF reported that 400,000 homes were left without power at one stage, mostly on the western Atlantic coast. Power was slowly returning in most areas tonight.

In Paris, a pedestrian was crushed to death this morning by a falling billboard, firefighters said. Wind apparently toppled the billboard. Two other people were injured in the incident in Paris’ central 10th district.

In the central city of Lyon, two people were injured, one of them seriously, when a tree fell on their car, firefighters said.

France Info radio reported wind-related delays of about an hour at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport. Traffic was expected to return to normal, airport authorities said.