A wave breaking against a pier in front of a lighthouse in Boulogne- sur-Mer, France, on Monday.

Winds gusting to hurricane force wreaked havoc in parts of western Europe, leaving tens of thousands of homes without power and forcing flight cancellations and the closure of roads and bridges.

In France, at least 60,000 homes were without power at one point.

In Britain, the same weather system left a trail of disruption in its wake as it swept across southern England overnight, leaving debris strewn across London's streets.

Winds gusting to 170kmh forced the cancellation of around 150 flights in and out of Britain and cut power in over 100,000 homes, local utilities reported.