Roaring Winds Lash Europe; at Least 48 People Are Killed

Powerful winds and rain swept across Europe on Sunday, ripping trees out of the ground, tearing roofs off buildings and killing at least 48 people in France, Switzerland and Germany. Paris was buffeted by the strongest winds to hit the capital in half a century.

Gusts up to 105 mph tore through northern France, where the Interior Ministry said at least 26 people were killed, some when falling trees crashed onto their cars. In Paris, where winds reached 98 mph, a couple were killed when a chimney collapsed into their apartment. Their newborn baby was found alive.

French LCI television showed a light airplane wedged upright on its nose in an airfield in the Seine-et-Marne region south of Paris. Roofs also had been ripped from hangars at the airfield.

In Switzerland, at least 11 people were killed and several injured, mostly by falling trees. Two of the victims were killed at the Crans Montana ski resort when a tree crashed into a cable and sent their gondola plummeting to the ground.

Many road and rail links were closed for at least part of the day. Wind gusts up to 96 mph were recorded in western Switzerland.

Eleven people were killed in car accidents or by falling trees in southern Germany, where winds reached 124 mph. Air, rail and road traffic was halted.

In Austria, winds gusting as high as 136 mph were reported in the Salzkammergut region.