High winds batter northwest France, man drowned

RENNES, France (Reuters) - A man drowned off northwest France overnight when his boat capsized in high winds and a cargo vessel was blown aground on France's Atlantic coast, French officials said on Monday.

A storm that swept in from the Atlantic battered northwest France and southern areas of Britain, bringing down trees and power lines and pounding coastal defenses.

French maritime authorities said a 26-year-old man fell into the water when his small boat was hit by a large wave late on Sunday in the small port of Relecq-Kerhuon, near Brest in the far west of Brittany.

His body was found early on Monday. A second man who was in the vessel was rescued by friends in another boat nearby.

The Dutch-registered cargo ship Artemis was blown onto a beach at the Atlantic coastal resort of Les Sables d'Olonne and an attempt would be made to refloat it later on Monday, they said, adding there was no danger to the environment.

Gales brought down power lines, cutting electricity supplies briefly to several thousand homes in the northwest.

Across the Channel, winds gusting more than 130 km an hour brought down trees, ripped off roof tiles and damaged power lines, cutting electricity to 10,000 homes in southern Britain.

British coastguard tugs were sent to help a 7,500-tonne tanker with 13 crew members on board which was drifting in high seas off the Isle of Wight and escorted it to Southampton.

Hurricane force winds in the Channel forced the closure of the English port of Dover where about 12 ferry crossings were cancelled on Monday.