Tens of thousands of homes are without power across Europe as storms and chilling temperatures wreak havoc.<br /><br />In northern France, gale force winds of some 140 km/h have battered the coast of Brittany.<br /><br />Blocked roads and fallen trees have forced emergency workers to be on alert around the clock.<br /><br />Authorities in Ireland have declared severe flood warnings, meaning danger to life, as a result of the extreme gales and storms.<br /><br />“It’s terrible, the shores are blocked. The centre of the city is devastated, shops closed left right and centre,” said one resident.<br /><br />Snow and ice have paralysed Slovenia, bringing down trees and electricity pylons, cutting power from 50,000 homes and causing millions of euros of damage.<br /><br />With a thick shell of ice surrounding several structures, much of the small Alpine country has been brought to a standstill.
