Winter storms batter Europe

A powerful winter storm battered Europe on Friday, knocking power out for 330,000 homes in France, prompting the evacuation of thousands of seaside dwellers in Britain and disrupting travel.

Britain issued more than a dozen severe flood warnings, meaning there was a risk of danger to life, and deployed the military to help thousands of people to evacuate their homes in several seaside communities.

Since the end of last week, a winter cold snap across Europe has killed more than 60 people, with homeless people and migrants stranded in countries like Greece and Serbia most at risk.

In France, a woman was killed by a falling tree in her garden in a village near the Mediterranean resort of Nice, while another woman in Albania was found dead on Thursday outside her home in the southern town of Saranda.

The storm, officially named Egon, also battered Belgium and Germany, where the key international hub of Frankfurt airport cancelled 120 flights.

At one point overnight, 330,000 homes were without power in France, although this was reduced to 35,000 by Friday night.

Winds of up to 146 kilometres (90 miles) an hour hit France's Channel port of Dieppe overnight, while parts of Germany were bracing for up to 30 centimetres (12 inches) of snow, according to German weather officials.

In Ukraine, officials said sub-zero temperatures across the country have claimed 40 lives since late December.