Eleanor, which has hit large swathes of Europe since Wednesday, has caused widespread destruction, death, transport disruption in some areas and power cuts to tens of thousands of people.
Two people were killed on the coast of the Spanish Basque region in the north after the waves washed away a couple, officials said, while emergency teams went to rescue a third person who tried to help them survive.
In France, a 21-year-old skier was killed by a tree falling in Morillon in the French Alps, where serious weather conditions forced many resorts to close.
More than 12 people, including four in critical condition, were injured across France by the storm, which is the most severe weather forecast in eight years, civil defense spokesman Michael Bernier told AFP.
On the French island of Corsica in the Mediterranean, winds of more than 140 kilometers per hour were recorded, helping to fuel fires in the forest fires caused by the fall of power lines. Three people were injured in the air disturbance on the island.
In Link, central Switzerland, eight people were injured when heavy winds overturned a train and one was injured when a tree fell in the Dutch village of Hech.
Winds forced the authorities to shut down airports in Strasbourg and Basel-Mulhouse on the border between France, Germany and Switzerland before being reopened shortly after.
At Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, 60 percent of departures departures on Wednesday morning and one-third of flights, while several more routes were changed before the wind was slightly reduced.
The wind also caused chaos in train services in several French regions following the fall of trees, power lines and others.
Some 225,000 homes across France remained without electricity amid expectations of “heavy” flooding on the Atlantic coast.
The Eiffel Tower, which normally receives six million visitors a year, closed to visitors on Thursday morning because of the storm before it was later opened. All the Paris gardens were closed for one day on Wednesday, fearing the fall of trees on pedestrians.
– frost, thunder and lightning –
The storm reached the European continent after hitting England, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as one of the world’s largest dams, the Thames Parrier, was shut down to protect London from flooding.
“We have seen some heavy rains across southern England accompanied by frost, thunder and lightning,” said meteorologist Becky Mitchell.
Winds of up to 160 km / h were pounded in Westmoreland in northwest England, where a vehicle and tree capsized the closure of major highways.
In Ireland, the electricity company said the service had been restored to 123,000 subscribers, while electricity remained cut off from another 27,000.
The streets of Galway on the west coast ran out of water after high waves overtook sea barriers, forcing about 25 troops to reinforce flood control efforts.
The alert level in Belgium and parts of Spain was raised to the “orange” level, the third of four, and officials called on the population to exercise caution.
Although the winds were down by midday, relief workers in Brussels received about 70 calls from across the city, especially after several trees fell.
In the Netherlands, 252 of the 1,200 flights at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport were canceled, while major roads and train lines were closed.
The Dutch authorities closed for the first time all five storm barriers on the North Sea coast, the Ministry of Transport said.
Air traffic at the Frankfurt and Zurich airports was disrupted as Swiss officials called for avoiding the forest.
RTS television said electricity was cut off from about 14,000 homes in several Swiss regions.
Most ski centers in Switzerland and the French Alps were closed, with winds up to 250 km / h.
“It’s better for you to stay in front of the fire today,” said David Bonson, ski director at Savoy.
The Eleanor is the fourth major storm to hit Europe since December.
