Météo-France has placed five departments on the north and north-west coast of France on orange alert, from Friday February 18, 10 a.m., due to the passage of storm Eunice, which will cause major disruptions on railway lines regional.
The alert was triggered for the North, Pas-de-Calais, Somme, Seine-Maritime and Manche. Waves 4 meters high broke Friday morning off Brittany. The British and Irish meteorological services have launched red alerts for their part before the arrival of this storm, the second in forty-eight hours, which must then rise towards Denmark, according to a press release from Météo-France.
This episode should cause strong winds on the French coast, around 100 to 110 km/h inland and 120 km/h on the coasts, from the end of the morning or midday on Cotentin, Seine-Maritime and Somme. The most violent gusts are expected in the afternoon on the coasts of Pas-de-Calais and the North, where they could reach 140 km / h on the coasts, and 100 km / h to 120 km / h in inside (locally 130 km/h on the heights) according to Météo-France.
Associated with high tidal coefficients, these stormy winds will lead to risks of submersion, especially at high tide, between early morning and midday.
Traffic disrupted in Hauts-de-France and Normandy
In the north-west of France, the wind is likely to seriously disrupt activities. Significant damage is expected. Traffic conditions can be difficult locally and some disruptions can affect air, rail and sea transport. Some damage may also affect the electricity and telephone distribution networks.
SNCF announced Thursday evening disruptions on its lines in Hauts-de-France and Normandy: “Traffic will be interrupted from 12 p.m. on all TER lines in the Nord, Pas-de-Calais and Somme regions”with the exception of lines linking Paris to Amiens, Saint-Quentin, Laon and Beauvais.
TGVs traveling on high-speed lines will not be affected. On the other hand, the circulation of TGVs using the classic lines (Paris-Valenciennes, Paris-Dunkirk) will be interrupted, due to the risk of falling trees.
In Normandy, traffic will be disrupted and the rail network closed to traffic from 12 p.m. The trains “from and to Paris-Saint-Lazare will have Caen, Rouen and Deauville-Trouville as their terminus”, specifies the SNCF. The estimated resumption of traffic is expected on Saturday, “after checking the condition of the lines and possible repairs of the damage caused”.
No Thalys between Brussels and the Netherlands
The circulation of Thalys trains between Paris and Brussels will not be affected, but connections from Brussels to the Netherlands were all canceled on Friday, according to a spokeswoman for Thalys.
As the storm risks damaging networks and locally disrupting transport, several prefectures have called for activities likely to entail risks to be postponed and for information to be obtained before any travel.
Devices have also been activated for homeless people, with two gymnasiums made available to migrants in Dunkirk and a hangar in Calais. The passage of the Dundley storm killed 5 people in Europe on Thursday.