National Disaster Declared As Atlantic Storm Hits Western Coast

France has declared a national disaster after violent storms battered parts of the country leaving death and destruction in their wake. The Atlantic storm, named Xynthia, smashed into the western coasts of France, Portugal and Spain with torrential rain driven by winds of up to 140km/h (87mph). The weather system has swept north-eastwards into Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. There have also been reports of high winds in the Swiss Alps. More than a million homes in France have lost electricity, from the Brittany peninsula in the west to the highlands of the Massif Central. Worst affected have been the Vendee and Charente-Maritime regions on the western coast. Huge waves and strong gusts battered many coastal towns, flooding inland areas and destroying buildings. At least 50 people have been killed in the storms that have swept parts of Spain, Portugal and France.