Fresh storms in France, Spain claim 100

Fresh storms in France, Spain claim 100
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

PARIS, DEC 28: A new killer storm hit France and Spain late on Monday, just a day after Europe's worst ever tempest, with the total death toll topping 100 as a trail of destruction swept across the continent.

France bore the brunt of fierce winds for the second day running. Monday's storm hit the southwest of the country leaving at least 12 dead and one fisherman missing at sea. Many were injured by falling trees and debris.

A further five people died in northern Spain as the storm-force winds, which reached 150 km per hour in France, returned to the Atlantic coastline. The new assault came as emergency services across western Europe struggled to clean up the damage from Sunday's fatal storms. In France, 40 people were killed on Sundayalmost half the toll of 82 counted on the day across Britain, France, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Italy as the storm swept eastwards.

At least three people died in Britain and a Frenchwoman was swept to her death in a French channel port over Christmas whenthe series of storms began to lash western Europe.