Storm Ciarán: Captured Moments of Destruction and Disruption

Storm Ciarán has hit the UK, Channel Islands, and parts of Europe, causing strong winds, heavy rain, and flooding. The Met Office issued a yellow warning for wind and rain in the south coast of England. As a result, more than 300 schools in the affected region have been closed, and major incidents have been declared in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, and Jersey. In Jersey, dozens of people were evacuated to hotels due to the strong winds, with gusts of up to 102mph causing damage to homes and uprooting trees. The Grand Hotel in St Helier also suffered damage as the storm tore through the island. The south of England is experiencing severe disruption to transportation routes due to the strong winds and heavy rain. The Environment Agency has warned of expected flooding in 82 areas, mainly on the south coast. The Port of Dover temporarily suspended all sailings, leading to long queues of lorries. While it has since reopened for shipping, passenger ferries remain cancelled. Storm Ciarán also reached coastal regions of northwest France, with gale-force winds of 128mph battering Brittany and Normandy. As a result, 1.2 million people in France are without electricity as fallen trees caused power lines and pylons to collapse. Finistère in the northwest reported some of the worst damage, with gusts of 128mph recorded at Pointe-du-Raz. Local authorities have prohibited traffic on the roads, except for emergency services and essential transport. Spain also activated warnings across the country, except for the Canary Islands, due to heavy rain and gusts of wind up to 68mph. The Galicia region is on red alert due to a higher incidence of extreme weather.