Violent storms swept through France over the weekend, killing at least 15 people,
officials said.
Fierce rain and strong winds have left at least 12 people dead across France as a violent winter storm battered the country.
Most of the victims drowned, while others died when hit by parts of buildings or trees that were ripped off in the winds.
Nearly 900,000 people were without electricity Sunday.
Winds reached about 200 kilometers (120 mph) on the summits of the Pyrenees Mountains and about 150 kilometers (90 mph) along the Atlantic Coast.
Local authorities said three people died on Saturday and another 12 on Sunday and warned the toll could rise. Some drowned while others were hit by falling trees and branches.
South-west coastal regions of France, Vendee and Charente Maritime, were among those worst affected.
The storm also cut off electricity to more than 1 million residents said ErDF, the distribution arm of French energy group EDF. The cuts centered on Brittany and central France.
Weather forecasters said the storm, named Xynthia, had headed to France's north-east and would then hit Belgium and Luxembourg.
Gusts of wind reaching 100 km (60 miles) per hour had already battered France's northern regions by 1207 GMT (7:07 a.m. EST), Meteo France said on its website.
But it said the storms appeared less fierce than those that hit France in December 1999, in which 92 people were killed.
French Economy Minister Christine Lagarde on Sunday reminded insurers that multi-risk residence insurance covered damage caused by strong winds and called for the speedy processing of storm-related claims.
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