- The Atlantic storm “Eunice”, called “Zeynep” in Germany, caused severe damage in northern Europe.
- At least nine people died on Friday in England, Ireland, the Netherlands and Belgium as a result of the hurricane.
- Rail traffic has been suspended in many northern European countries, and almost 500 flights have been cancelled.
- Wind peaks of almost 200 km/h were measured in southern England. Tens of thousands of households are affected by power outages.
“Zeynep” hit Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein fully, but probably caused less damage than feared. Fire brigades and police reported numerous operations by Saturday morning, but for the time being it was mostly property damage and fallen trees.
During the evening, the German Weather Service measured wind forces between 9 and 11 in Kiel, Hamburg, Sylt and Helgoland, and a hurricane gust of 143.3 kilometers per hour was recorded in Büsum.
The DWD has corrected the height of the storm surge expected in Hamburg early Saturday morning upwards. Instead of a severe storm surge with water levels of up to three meters, up to 3.5 meters must now be expected, which corresponds to a very severe storm surge, the weather service said.
Rhine bridge closed
In Bremen, a parcel of land in the Pauliner Marsch had to be evacuated because of an expected flood, a police spokeswoman said on Friday evening. In North Rhine-Westphalia, a Rhine bridge was closed due to fallen scaffolding.
The Atlantic storm front reached wind peaks of up to 200 kilometers per hour in north-western Europe. The storm “Eunice” (“Zeynep”) claimed nine lives. The storm made landfall in western England and Cornwall, with winds reaching gusts of up to 200 kilometers per hour in southern England and across the English Channel.
Legend:
In Stralsund (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), “Zeynep” destroyed a shed in a garden.
key stone
In Ireland, Liverpool, London and Hampshire in southern England, people were killed when trees or debris from their cars fell. Three people were also killed by fallen trees in the Netherlands.
In London, the storm shredded the white domed roof of the O2 Arena. In Wales, waves broke on Aberystwyth’s seafront as tall as houses. More than 100,000 people are currently without electricity in England.
Legend:
Storm Eunice causes high waves on the Cornish coast.
Reuters
At some British airports, planes were sometimes forced to abort landings. 436 flights were canceled. In Wales, rail services have been completely suspended. The ferry services between Dover and Calais in the English Channel have also been cancelled.
“Red Alert” in the Netherlands
Like the Met Office in the UK, the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) issued a “red alert” for winds with gusts of up to 130 km/h in coastal regions.
In The Hague, parts of the roof of the stadium of the football club ADO Den Haag were destroyed. Two people were killed by falling trees.
Around 390 flights were canceled at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Train services across the country were suspended from 2 p.m. Several overturned articulated lorries brought traffic on the freeway to a standstill.
Crane fell on Belgian hospital
In the Belgian city of Tournai, the storm threw the jib of a crane onto the roof of a hospital and broke through the top floor ceiling. The city center of Asse, a small town northeast of Brussels, has been evacuated because a church tower is in danger of collapsing.
There is also a storm warning for north-west France. Several train connections there will be discontinued as a precaution.
Storm “Eunice” sweeps through Great Britain
