Photo: Météo FranceThe storms in western France are getting stronger, with residents urged to stay inside as red alerts are issued. Violent winds and flood risks have prompted national weather agency Météo France to put three western France departments on red alert, its top level of warning. The departments are Charente, Charente-Maritime, and Gironde, with the agency predicting winds of up to 160 km/hr on Friday night. Météo France said that gale force winds would bring more "very strong waves" to the western coastline of France, as well as parts of the northern coast of Brittany and Normandy. The agency urged people to keep away from the coastline and out of the water at all costs.

Source: The Local February 03, 2017 14:21 UTC