French rail services in several regions will be canceled, and ferry crossings on the Channel may be affected as Storm Ciaran is expected to be exceptionally intense and will impact northern France and the English Channel with strong winds of up to 140 km/h.

The storm will arrive from the west, affecting the northern and western French coastlines on Wednesday evening and continuing into Thursday, with weather warnings in southern England as well. 18 départements in western France are on yellow alert for potential flooding, and some areas in Brittany and Corsica have alerts for strong winds.

The storm will move southward, affecting central and northern France, including Paris, on Thursday, and the southwest on Friday. The intensity of the storm’s impact is still uncertain. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin canceled a trip to coordinate government services’ response to the storm.

The UK’s Met Office predicts strong winds and heavy rain in the south of England during the same period.