Europe hit hard by deadly winter storm
At least five dead as Storm Ciara causes chaos on roads and at airports A man walks his dog Monday in the aftermath of Storm Ciara, in Bosham, England.
LONDON— Streets were flooded, flights were cancelled, traffic was jammed, power was cut and windblown trees blocked roads and rails Monday as a deadly winter storm raged through western and northern Europe.
Storm Ciara — or Sabine, as the storm is called in Germanspeaking countries — tore through Belgium, Britain, France, Germany and Poland, unleashing chaos and killing at least five people, according to reports from news agencies and social media.
Steven Keates, a senior meteorologist in Britain’s Met Office, the country’s national meteorological service, said Monday that though storms are common in winter, Storm Ciara is “notable” because of the very strong and widespread winds.
“It’s a powerful Atlantic storm, not the strongest we’ve ever seen,” he said by phone. “We’ve seen higher wind speeds and greater impact,” Keates added, but noted that Storm Ciara has had significant impacts across Britain and “really gusty winds.”
The storm first hit Ireland on Saturday afternoon before moving toward Britain and making its way to northwestern Europe. On Monday, it moved to Scandinavia, with the centre between Sweden and Norway.
A severe weather warning remained in Britain, cautioning wind, snow and the potential for ice, for its Tuesday and Wednesday weather forecasts.
A 58-year-old man died in Britain after a tree fell on his car near Winchester, a city in southern England, on Sunday, the Hampshire Constabulary said on Facebook on Monday, while another man died in a similar way in Slovenia, The Associated Press reported.
A mother and her daughter died in Poland after the roof of a ski rental equipment building blew off and hit people near a ski lift in Bukowina Tatrzanska, a resort near the border with Slovakia.
A man drowned after his boat capsized in southern Sweden, according to The Associated Press.
Gatwick Airport, one of London’s two main hubs, warned passengers that “very high winds” had caused flight cancellations and delays.
Roads and rail lines across Britain were blocked by the collapse of trees and buildings. There were problems with the signalling system, and Scottish rail officials urged people to tie down garden furniture, sheds and trampolines, over fears they could be blown on to the tracks.