In pictures: Storm Ciara batters north-western Europe

A powerful storm is battering parts of north-west Europe with heavy rainfall and strong winds of up to 150km/h (93mph).

Storm Ciara - known as Sabine in Germany and Switzerland and Elsa in Norway - has caused hundreds of flights to be grounded and rail services cancelled in Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK.

Access to exposed areas such as parks and coastlines has been restricted and motorists have been warned to take care as the weather continues to cause severe travel disruption.

On Monday, large parts of northern France were placed on an orange weather alert - the second highest warning - with thousands of homes in Brittany left without power.

The storm's powerful winds forced high waves to crash against a jetty in Brittany, France

People headed to the beach at Scheveningen in the Netherlands to witness the impact of the storm

A man stands on the edge of a seawall and leans into the wind in Harlingen in the Netherlands

Firefighters assess the damage after a tree fell into a house and crushed a car in Rotterdam, the Netherlands

A kite surfer takes advantage of the harsh conditions on the River Weser in Bremerhaven, northern Germany

Strong winds that ripped through the Belgian capital Brussels caused part of a residential building to partially collapse

The debris that fell from the building in Brussels landed on a road, which was then closed off by police

Passengers look at display boards and try to get information about train delays from German rail staff at Cologne central station on Sunday

Part of a guest house in Hawick, Scotland, collapsed into the fast-flowing River Teviot

Waves crash into the wall at Porthleven in Cornwall, UK

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