Many parts of Europe are currently affected by storm “Eunice”. Several people died. The hurricane causes chaos in England.
London – One day after a storm that killed three people in Germany and Poland, Europe was again hit by a hurricane. One person died in Ireland on Friday (February 18, 2022) due to the storm called “Eunice” internationally and “Zeynep” in Germany. A 60-year-old man was killed by a falling tree, police said.
In parts of Great Britain*, the hurricane brought public life to a standstill. The storm also caused traffic disruptions in Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. It can get stormy again on Friday evening (02/18/2022). In Germany, coast guards expect high water levels on the North Sea coast of Lower Saxony in view of the hurricane low “Zeynep” on Saturday night. There are warnings of a storm surge, meteorologists expect a “historic hurricane”.
Hurricane “Eunice”: record wind speeds of 196 km/h
For London, the weather agency issued the first red alert storm warning since this categorization was introduced in 2011. The British capital seemed deserted on Friday. The wind destroyed large parts of the roof of the Millennium Dome in south-east London.
On the Isle of Wight off England’s south coast, “Eunice” made landfall with record wind speeds of 196 kilometers per hour. According to preliminary assessments, this is “the strongest gust ever measured in England”, said the British weather authority Met Office.
“Eunice” or “Zeynep” roll across Europe: Heavy snowfalls expected in Scotland and northern England
The highest alert level, which means “danger to life”, also applied to the south-east and south-west of England and the south of Wales. Flooding was expected along the coasts. Heavy snowfall has been forecast for Scotland and Northern England. Millions of people were asked to stay at home. The schools in the storm areas remained closed.
In South West England, the power went out in more than 70,000 households, as the network operator announced. Hundreds of flights have been canceled at London airports and ferry services across the English Channel have been suspended. In Wales, all trains and buses have stopped running.
In England there were delays and cancellations in bus and train services due to storm damage to roads, bridges and railway lines. In London, train services have been restricted during the morning rush hour. Several bridges were closed.
The British Army was put on standby because of the storm. Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on his fellow citizens on Twitter to take precautionary measures and heed the authorities’ calls. A representative of the British Environment Agency warned against going to the coasts in the hunt for dramatic shots. This would be “probably the stupidest thing you can do,” he said.
Storm warning for “Eunice” in Ireland: All schools closed
Ireland’s weather agency also issued a storm warning. All schools in the EU country remained closed. The power went out in more than 80,000 households and shops.
From England “Eunice” should move on to Denmark. Trains had to travel there at reduced speed, and the bridge across the Great Belt was expected to be closed overnight.
Deutsche Bahn gradually stopped regional and long-distance traffic in northern Germany in the afternoon. Here “Eunice” was expected under the name “Zeynep” with wind speeds of up to 140 kilometers per hour. The weather service issued nationwide sub-weather warnings for the north, middle and east of Germany.
Netherlands announces red warning level: hundreds of flights and trains canceled
In the Netherlands, the meteorological authority issued a red warning. According to media reports, hundreds of flights were canceled and train services were to be stopped in the afternoon. Rail traffic was also affected in Belgium and the authorities called on citizens to only leave their homes in urgent cases. In Brittany in northern France, “Eunice” caused waves up to four meters high and affected regional rail traffic.
Storm “Dudley” caused traffic chaos and power outages in Great Britain on Wednesday, but caused no major damage. After that, the same storm called “Ylenia” wreaked havoc in Germany and several of its neighboring countries. In Germany, three drivers died in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt on Thursday (February 17, 2022), and at least three people also died in the storm in Poland. (AFP) *fr.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
Headline list image: © Jacob King / dpa
