German woman swept to death as fierce winds batter France

PARIS – French maritime authorities say a German woman was swept to her death by strong waves off Corsica as powerful winds batter the region.

The maritime authority tweeted that a rescue operation was launched in the Gulf of Porto after the woman was swept away Sunday but she did not survive.

Unusually cold and windy weather hit much of France over the weekend. Hail fell on the Paris region and the national weather service warned of winds of up to 130 kilometres (80 miles) an hour Sunday in regions near the Mediterranean Sea. Some public events in Marseille were cancelled because of the weather.