In Western Europe the Storm Nils hits the region. it causes the death of a lorry driver in France, with 900,000 homes losing electricity. Intense winds of 162 km/h have forced the closure of some alpine resorts, such as La Plagne, due to avalanche conditions. Transport systems have been badly affected in this region. A critical section of Portugal’s A1 motorway, which runs from Lisbon to Porto, has collapsed following Mondego River bank erosion, resulting in the resignation of Interior Minister Maria Lucia Amaral over allegations of poor government handling of the disaster. Several injuries have been reported in Spain, mainly from falling trees and other obstacles, with schools shut down in Catalonia and waves reaching 10 meters on the north-west coast. Climate change is responsible for the increase in the strength of this series of storms, claim researchers, due to its effects on greenhouse emissions.