Violent storm batters much of western Europe

LONDON » A violent storm packing winds up to 100 mph battered parts of western Europe on Wednesday, derailing trains, toppling trees and halting flights. Authorities said one person was killed and at least 23 others were injured in France and Switzerland.

The high winds played havoc on transport, derailing trains in Switzerland and Germany and leaving hundreds of thousands of homes across France, Switzerland, Britain and Ireland without power.

Eight people suffered mostly minor injuries when a train was blown off the tracks near Lenk, a town south of Bern, the Swiss capital, police said. In western Germany, a train derailed near Luenen when it crashed into a tree that had fallen onto the tracks. No injuries were reported.

The storm forced the cancellation of flights at Zurich and Basel airports. Thousands of households at Lake Zurich were left without power, and firefighters were called to help with toppled trees blocking streets and flooding due to heavy rain.

Strong winds closed ski lifts in Switzerland, Germany and Austria.

In England, the storm brought hail and lightning. Overturned vehicles forced officials to close portions of three major highways. Some bridges were closed.

Extremely high tides caused the partial collapse of a harbor wall in Cornwall in southwestern England, bringing seawater flooding in.

The country’s main weather forecaster, the Met Office, said gusts reached 100 mph in Cumbria, 280 miles northwest of London, early Wednesday.

The storm battered northern France with winds surpassing 90 mph — some of the worst gusts to hit the country in years.France’s national electricity provider says the storm left some 200,000 households without electricity, including 30,000 in the Paris 1region.