Storm Ciaran batters Spain with hurricane-strength winds

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Spain continued to be battered by storm Ciaran on Thursday, with its intense winds causing hundreds of incidents and putting almost the entire country on alert.

The storm smashed into northwestern Spain late Wednesday night, causing sustained winds of 119 km/h (74 mph) in Galicia and gusts of up to 168 km/h (104 mph) in Asturias.

The hurricane-strength winds ripped trees from the ground, shutting down traffic on 62 roads in Asturias and knocking down power lines that have cut off electricity for around 10,000 in Galicia.

In both regions, flights were canceled or redirected and train lines were shut down. Many unlucky passengers also got trapped on a train in Asturias after a fallen tree on the tracks cut off electricity. After waiting in the dark for more than an hour, they had to slog through the storm and mud to the nearest town.

Red and orange alerts will remain for most of Spain’s north coast through Saturday. When Ciaran is over, another storm of similar characteristics is expected to pass through, Spain’s meteorological agency warned.

The storm has also wreaked havoc further south, with almost all of peninsular Spain on alert for strong winds, waves or rainfall.

In Madrid, the storm has already caused more than 100 incidents, mainly due to fallen trees blocking roads, smashing cars or blocking train lines. The Spanish capital has shut down all of its public parks due to the danger.

The same explosive storm has also battered parts of France and the UK.

Northwestern France has experienced the strongest winds, record-breaking gusts of up to 200 km/h (124mph). There, one truck driver died when a tree fell onto his vehicle.

In the UK, the storm caused heavy disruptions as well, particularly in southwest England, where hundreds of schools were shut and flights were canceled.