Storm Eleanor brings chaos to Europe

Heavy winds forced authorities to close the airports in Strasbourg and Basel-Mulhouse on France's border with Germany and Switzerland before they were reopened shortly after midday.

Belgium and parts of Spain were also put on orange alert, the third of four warning levels, with officials urging people to exercise caution when venturing out.

Eleanor barreled into continental Europe after whipping across England and Ireland, with the Thames Barrier, one of the largest movable flood barriers in the world, closed as a precautionary measure to protect London from swelling tides.

"We have seen some heavy showers push through across the south of the UK along with hail, loud thunder and lightning," said meteorologist Becky Mitchell.

In the Republic of Ireland, power supply company ESB said electricity had been restored to 123,000 customers, while 27,000 remained without power.

In the Netherlands, more than 250 flights were canceled at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, a key European hub, as weather alerts were issued for several regions.

Eleanor is the fourth major storm to hit Europe since December.