Europe weather: Seven dead as violent winds batter Spain, Portugal and France
A storm centre, the remnants of which are bringing bad weather to the UK, barrels across southwest Europe, leaving devastation.
Saturday 21 December 2019 20:07, UK
Seven people have died after a violent storm battered parts of Europe, with locals and tourists warned there are more extreme winds still to come.
France, Portugal and Spain have all been struck by Storm Elsa, which has flooded rivers, torn down power lines and disrupted transport links including rail and air travel.
Five of the deaths have been in Spain and two in Portugal, with the latest coming in Madrid on Saturday.
Officials in the Spanish capital said a 32-year-old woman from South Korea died after being struck on the head by debris that had fallen from a building in the city centre.
Another death confirmed on Saturday came in the southwest region of Andalusia, where a 68-year-old Dutchman was said to have drowned after going missing while windsurfing in rough weather on Friday.
Heavy rains caused flooding in other areas of the country.
Although the storm's centre has headed north, the entire northwestern coast of the Galicia region and neighbouring Asturias remains on red alert.
The Spanish national weather office said the threat of strong winds and high waves remained, even further inland.
Eight city parks in Madrid were closed on Saturday and parks and cemeteries were also closed in Bordeaux in the southwest of France, where the Arlette Gruss circus had to cancel three performances.
And on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, all airports will remain closed on Sunday and ferry services to the mainland are also still suspended.
The fragments of Storm Elsa have been the cause of some extreme weather in the south of England, with a tornado having been reported in two towns in Surrey.
No fatalities or injuries have been reported, but homes, cars and garages have been damaged - and trees and fences have also been torn down.