The French Alps were on maximum avalanche alert on Thursday as Storm Eleanor swept through Europe, killing at least four people and fanning rare winter wildfires in Corsica.
With the mountains packed with skiiers for the school holidays, major resort Val d’Isere closed its runs for the day because of “heavy snowfall”. At the other extreme, nearly 400 firefighters on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica were battling two blazes fanned by Eleanor’s strong gusts of wind.
Three hundred goats were killed in the blaze at Chiatra-Canale di Verde near the island’s east coast and ten homes burnt, local authorities said.
Eleanor, the fourth winter storm to hit Europe since December, swept into the continent on Wednesday after battering Britain and Ireland.
The whole of Spain’s northern coast remained on “orange” alert because of the risk from strong winds and large waves. — AFP
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