Christmas Eve: Europe hit with severe weather

A massive winter storm has disrupted travel across Europe on Christmas Eve, causing floods in the United Kingdom and battering Spain with strong winds.

Thousands of passengers in Paris and London airports were stranded after flights were cancelled.

At Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport nearly all long-haul flights were cancelled or delayed because of rains and wind.

In the Normandy region of northern France, a 12-year-old boy was crushed to death beneath construction materials.

In western France, the strong winds took down electricity lines causing 200,000 homes to lose power.

Electricity provider ERDF said that some of the homes will not have power restored until after Christmas.

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In Britain, the rain and wind caused landslides and floods, taking down trees and submerging roads.

London's Gatwick Airport saw delays and cancellations, with passengers looking to return home or leave on holiday stranded.

Power companies in the UK estimated that about 150,000 homes were without power in the south of the country.

In Spain, a commuter train was derailed after a tree was downed by strong winds onto the tracks.

Nobody was injured in the incident.

Another 88,000 homes are said to have lost power, mainly in the Galicia region.