About 59,000 households in the regions of Brittany and Normandy remain without electricity after Storm Austen and the subsequent Storm Boelo hit France's northwestern coast, the ici radio station reported on Sunday, citing data from distribution network operator Enedis.

In Brittany, 27,500 households remain without power, while in Normandy, the blackout affected 14,700 households, the report said. At the peak of Storm Austen, power grid connection was lost to some 288,600 households, according to the report.

About 2,000 Enedis employees and 600 workers from contracting firms are engaged in emergency repair operations, ici reported.

Storm Austen brought strong winds, with gusts exceeding 89 miles per hour in some areas. The French meteorological service issued an orange weather alert, which is the second-highest level of danger, for 23 departments, including Paris and its suburbs. Rail services in the affected regions were disrupted due to the severe weather.

@Sputnik