Storms on way for north of France, gales of up to 100km forecast
Weather will push through UK and Ireland before the weekend
Winds will be strongest in France along the Brittany and Normandy coastlines
Natalia de la Rubia / Shutterstock
Fierce gales of up to 100 km/h are expected to batter France at the end of this week, as an Atlantic storm passes through the English Channel.
Dubbed Storm Eowyn by the British Met Office, it is forecast to pass through the British Isles and the English Channel on Friday (January 24) before moving northwards towards Norway on Saturday (January 25).
It is forecast to bring gales of 170 km/h to the Irish coast – 130 km/h in inland areas – and waves up to ten metres high. Scotland and the north of England will also see strong gales.
Read more: Rain returns as cold snap ends: French weekly weather outlook January 20 - 24
Whilst it should not be as severe along the French coast, winds of 100 km/h may still hit coastal areas of Brittany, Normandy, and the Hauts-de-France regions as the storm passes through the Channel, French state forecaster Météo France said.
Winds may still reach strengths of 80 km/h further inland, and rain will come alongside the gales. Up to 30 mm may fall in parts of Brittany on Friday.
Official weather warnings for the area from the state forecaster will be available from Thursday (January 23) via its official website.
Official alerts may reach a tier-three orange warning level (the second most severe), although are not expected to reach an extreme, red-tier, warning – the highest possible.
Read more: What to do - and not do - in a red or orange weather alert in France
