Thousands left without power amid high winds and flooding in France

Strong winds and heavy rain have caused power cuts and flooding in France.

In the south-eastern Rhône-Alpes region, fallen branches and fallen trees cut off power to 6,000 households on Saturday morning, according to French media reports, which cited the grid operator Enedis. Attempts are being made to restore the power supply as quickly as possible, the reports said.

Meanwhile, in Vienne in central France, heavy rain caused the Gartempe to overflow, the local prefecture reported on X, formerly Twitter. Several roads were flooded and closed to traffic.

The broadcaster France Info also reported that houses in various places in the area had been evacuated and people had been brought to safety.