France has declared a national disaster after violent storms battered¹ parts of the country leaving death and destruction in their wake.

暴风席卷法国部分地区，造成人员伤亡和建筑物毁坏，总统宣布这是一起国家灾难。

chaos² to travellers in western France" width="226" height="170" src="/upimg/100301/4_070245_1.jpg" />
High winds and driving rain brought chaos to travellers in western France

Prime Minister Francois Fillon said the move would release funds to help communities rebuild.

At least 50 people have been killed in the storms that have swept parts of Spain, Portugal and France.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is to visit the storm-battered（连续猛击，磨损） Atlantic coast where 45 deaths occurred.

Many victims（受害者） drowned or were hit by parts of buildings or falling trees.

"It's a national disaster and my first thoughts go to the victims and to their families, to whom I want to express the government's and the nation's condolences（哀悼，慰问） ," Mr Fillon said.

"The priority now is to make all the homeless people safe, all the people who are still threatened by the rising waters."

He said flood prevention dykes³（堤坝） would be strengthened.

The Atlantic storm, named Xynthia, smashed into（猛撞） the western coasts of France, Portugal and Spain with torrential rain（暴雨，骤雨） driven by winds of up to 140km/h (87mph).

The weather system has swept north-eastwards into Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. There have also been reports of high winds in the Swiss Alps.

In France, Xynthia put five of the country's 95 departments on red alert - only the second such warning since a new emergency system was introduced in 2001.

More than a million homes in France have lost electricity, from the Brittany peninsula（半岛） in the west to the highlands of the Massif Central.

Worst affected⁴ have been the Vendee and Charente-Maritime regions on the western coast.

Huge waves and strong gusts⁵（狂风，阵风） battered many coastal⁶ towns, flooding inland areas and destroying buildings.

Residents took to their roofs in the Vendee region and police helicopters were in action trying to locate and rescue them.

At least a dozen people are said to be missing in France and 59 others are injured.

French national power company EDF said half a million customers were still without power at nightfall on Sunday, AFP news agency reported.

Mr Fillon said it would take several days to restore power everywhere.