Just when many in France allowed themselves hope that spring may be around the corner, a fresh flurry of heavy snowfall struck much of the country, leaving tens of thousands of homes without electricity and paralysing travel, reports France 24.
French weather service Metéo France put 26 regions in the north and northwest of the country on orange alert – the second highest – because of the winter storm, calling the snowfall “remarkable for the season because of the expected quantity and length of time”.
More than 68,000 homes were without electricity in Normandy and Brittany at some point, but ERDF, France’s main utility company, said their numbers were down to 500 on Monday night. Meanwhile, nearly 500 cars were blocked near Cherbourg where snowdrifts piled up 60 centimetres (almost two feet) as winds reached 100 kilometres (more than 60 miles) an hour.
The frigid weather also left at least 14 people, including six firefighters, injured near the northern city of Lille after icy conditions on a motorway caused a three-car accident.
Read more of this report from France 24.