Transport delays as storm batters Germany

A strong winter storm that battered Europe with hurricane-force winds and heavy rains has killed at least five people and caused severe travel disruptions on Monday.

The storm caused damage in a number of cities in Germany and power outages to around 50,000 homes in northern Bavaria.

Train travel across Europe's biggest economy was also severely disrupted, leaving many commuters unable to get to work.

Deutsche Bahn said on Monday it was slowly resuming long-distance rail services in the north of the country but warned travellers to expect further disruptions.

Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights from German airports.

The storm, which was dubbed Sabine in Germany, also led to school closures in several cities and regions, including Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia state, where several people were injured by falling branches and toppling trees.

Meteorologists expect gusts up to 140 kilometers per hour (87 miles per hour) in mountainous areas of southern Germany later on Monday.

The storm, which killed five people in Poland, Sweden and Slovenia, and battered the UK, has now largely passed through France, though meteorologists warned that the Mediterranean island of Corsica could see winds as high as 200 kilometres per hour (124.2 miles per hours) later Monday.