Storm Ciaran blasts North Sea, Baltic coasts

Storm Ciaran arrived on France's Breton coast on November 1 with strong gusts and a considerable swell. The houses on the jetty near the fishing port of Guilvinec had their windows washed clean by the spray. Over the course of the night, the English Channel and the whole of northern France were also affected.

These small excursion and fishing boats endured the choppy seas in the port of Goury. Autumn is known for strong storms in Western Europe, as the temperature difference between the still warm south and the already cold north is particularly high. In Normandy, storm waves measured as high as 21 meters (69 feet).

Ciaran raged across France with winds of almost 200 kilometers per hour (124 miles per hour), causing numerous power outages. A total of seven deaths were reported, most of them caused by falling trees and branches. In Le Havre, a man was caught in a gust of wind while closing his shutters and died after falling from his balcony.

Sailboats were washed up on the beach of the Breton town of Pornichet by the force of the storm. A new low-pressure system developing on the western edge of the low-pressure complex also brought gale-force winds to the Spanish and southern French Atlantic coast on Friday night.

In Newhaven, UK, a few brave walkers took in the breathtaking scenery around the lighthouse. France and Britain weren't the only countries affected by the storm — there were also warnings and rescue operations in Belgium and parts of Spain. However, France was hit the hardest, with around 1,300 residents housed in emergency shelters.

On its way to Germany, where the storm is known as Emir, the storm has already been weakening. Nevertheless, gusts of up to 140 kilometers per hour were measured on the Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz Mountains. Some hikers found it difficult to stay on their feet. Germany is set to remain stormy over the next few days.