Torrential rain, gusting winds, and major flooding caused widespread travel disruption, prompting evacuations and a series of red weather alerts

More than 1,600 people have fled their homes in western France as a third major storm in a week brought record rainfall and extreme flooding .

A succession of recent storms, including Storm Herminia, have caused severe flooding in western France. Residents have been forced to leave their homes by boat and helicopter. In Rennes, one of the worst affected places, around 400 people were taken to safety. The city's mayor said it was the most severe flooding in more than four decades.

Storm Herminia has unleashed downpours in western France, with parts of Brittany put on red weather alert Monday, while eight other French departments were put on orange alert for flooding, flash

French authorities issued red weather alerts for 3 provinces, while Italian emergency services are responding to damage in multiple regions

Streets were flooded in western France in and around the city of Rennes on Monday (January 27) following heavy rainfall in the region after Storm Herminia battered western France.

Storm Herminia fuelled more flooding in north-west France and created dangerous avalanche conditions in the Alps.

Storm Herminia triggered the worst flooding in four decades in parts of northwest France and created dangerous avalanche conditions in the Alps.

The national weather service had issued flood and wind warnings as Storm Herminia hit Spain, France on parts of the U.K. Normandy and Brittany were already waterlogged after the passage of last week's Storm Éowyn — which left two people dead from fallen trees and more than 1 million people without electricity in Ireland and Britain.