23:40
President Macron calls on the French people to stay at home
French President Emmanuel Macron urged residents of provinces expected to be hit by strong storm Ciaran not to take risks and to stay in their homes.
The head of state wrote on social media: “A severe storm will hit part of the country tonight. To residents of the alert provinces: Do not take any risks. Stay at home.”
Ciaran is expected to hit the French Atlantic coast and the southern English coast as of Wednesday evening. The French weather service Météo France expects wind gusts of up to 170 kilometers per hour.
The three departments of Finistère, Les Côtes d’Armor and Manche are under the highest red warning level due to strong winds from midnight until Thursday morning. Floods and huge waves also threaten northwest France.
22:41
How bad is it really?
How confident are we about the path Kieran will follow? Could it get worse than expected so far? Is it an exceptional storm? When exactly can we expect the heavier peak and when will things calm down? We asked meteorologist David Dehenauw about the latest situation.
Read more here: How bad is the storm? Weatherman David Dehenauw gives the latest status (+)
21:45
This is the path of Storm Ciaran
21:37
France and England are preparing
France and England prepare for the passage of Storm Kieran. Shipping in the Canal and traffic in northwest France will be restricted.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin advises French to stay at home. “I advise everyone in France to stay at home. Anyone who goes out, not near streams and not near the sea.”
Ciaran is expected to hit the French Atlantic coast and the southern English coast as of Wednesday evening. French weather service Météo France predicts Wind speed reaches 170 kilometers per hour. The three departments of Finistère, Les Côtes d’Armor and Manche are under the highest red warning level due to strong winds from midnight until Thursday morning. Floods and huge waves also threaten northwest France.
Be in the United Kingdom Wind speed reaches 140 kilometers per hour The Met Office said it was expected. Coastal areas in the southwest and south-east of England are particularly at risk.
21:35
“Train traffic has been seriously disrupted,” NMBS reports.
NMBS reports that there will be almost no peak hour trains and a number of IC connections will also be canceled due to the passage of Storm Ciarán.
Rail network operator Infrabel previously announced a number of measures on the rail network due to the storm. For example, there will be a Thursday There are no trains running between Bruges and the coast Local trains will be allowed to travel at a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour.
It is clear that these measures have consequences for train movement. That will “deeply disturbed” She, indicates NMBS. The railway company’s website stated: “Some trains will not operate, and other trains have been rerouted or their departure times have been modified.”
NMBS advises travelers to plan their trip just before departure via the travel planner on its website or in the app.
9:30 pm
The storm was named after… a civil servant in Northern Ireland
The storm was named after the official: Ciaran Fearon, who is responsible for sharing data on river and coastal water levels at the Northern Ireland Department of Infrastructure.
“These names are recorded for an entire year and follow the alphabet,” Dehenau says. “There are different groups of countries that each make their own list. Kieran comes from the Western group which includes the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Belgium is in the southwestern group with France and Spain. But as soon as one group names a storm, the others go along with it.” So as not to create a state of disharmony.”
The first storm of the season was Agnes, named after Irish astronomer Agnes Marie Clerk – while the second storm, Babette, took its name from a visitor to an open day at the Dutch KNMI who said she was born during a storm.
9:30 pm
“Avoid forests and parks, especially in West Flanders”
The Agency for Nature and Forests (ANB) has advised nature lovers not to venture into forests and parks during the passage of Storm Ciaran, especially in West Flanders.
“Because there are still a lot of leaves on the trees due to the late arrival of autumn, the branches are more sensitive to strong wind gusts. So we fear many trees will fall and branches will be broken,” a press release said. The report warns that even in the days following a storm, unstable trees or loose branches may continue to fall.
City Antwerp It was previously announced that parks and cemeteries would close after Halloween. And in Brussels The Sonyan Forest, regional parks, nature reserves and forests will be closed from Wednesday evening.
The storm may also impact local events or attractions. For example, Boudewijn Seapark in Bruges announced that its outdoor attractions will be closed on Thursday.
20:39
Helpline 1722 has been activated
Due to the expected passage of Storm Ciaran Helpline 1722 for storm and water damage It was activated, the internal affairs of the federal public service reported on Wednesday.
The easiest way to contact 1722 is via Online counter 1722.be. It is also possible to call 1722. The call will then go to the operators of the 112 emergency centres. They first handle urgent calls to number 112, and only secondarily with calls to number 1722. If your fire district has its own electronic office, you can also go there.
The Ministry of Interior recommends waiting patiently for the arrival of the fire brigade To not contact you again.
