A storm lashed Friday in western and northern France and the region of Paris, killing four people and injuring several others as well as cutting power to 385,000 homes.

In Paris, a 61-year-old woman died when a tree crashed down on her car, police said, adding that in Oise (north France), a cyclist was killed by a uprooted tree.

A man in the Somme region of northeastern France was also crushed by an uprooted tree crashing down on his car. Not far from him, some people boxed in a vehicle by a tree were seriously injured.

Meanwhile, a 28-year-old man was killed when he fell off a roof he was repairing in the western suburb of Vernouillet (southwest to Paris) after a piece of metal sheeting he was standing on was dislodged.

Storms of up to 130 kilometers (80 miles) per hour prompted the French state weather service Meteo France to issue its second-highest alert.

The state-owned utility Electricity of France (EDF) announced power was cut to 385,000 homes, while parks, cemeteries, gardens and the Eiffel Tower in Paris were also closed.

The main Paris airports of Charles de Gaulle and Orly were also hit by the gusts, which caused delays of an hour for around 50 flights and some cancellations.

Many trains were brought to a standstill in northern France.
 
(Xinhua News Agency December 18, 2004)