Storm Ciarán is hitting Britain with heavy rain and wind after battering France

A storm that battered northwestern France overnight lashed Britain on Thursday with heavy rain and strong winds that the weather bureau warned could pose a “life hazard”.

The storm, named Ciarán (pronounced kee-RAHN), hit France’s Atlantic coast with record-breaking winds – wind gusts of about 120 kilometers per hour were recorded in parts of Brittany, and some 1.2 million customers were without power – before moving to the Channel Islands.

The British Weather Agency has issued an ‘orange warning’, the second highest alert level, for parts of southern England, saying wind speeds expected to exceed 80 miles per hour in some areas could pose a ‘life-threatening threat’. The Coast Guard warned people to “stay away from the waterfront” and Dover harbour “all sailings” suspended due to the unfavorable conditions.

On the island of Jersey, schools were closed, the airport closed and more than thirty homes were evacuated as the local government declared the storm a “major incident.” According to the British weather bureau, the Met Office, wind gusts of 150 kilometers per hour were recorded there on Thursday morning.

Winds and heavy rain knocked out power in some parts of Britain, affecting around 9,000 properties in the south west on Thursday morning. according to National Grid, the country’s main electricity network operator.

The weather also affected travel. Southeastern Railways warned of serious disruptions to its lines and urged travelers to work from home. London North Eastern Railway wrote this in a statement did the same.

While it’s difficult to attribute individual weather events directly to climate change, scientists say a warming planet is worsening the extreme rainfall experienced by many storms.

Two weeks ago, Storm Babet wreaked havoc in Scotland with heavy rain and widespread flooding, killing at least three people.