Storms Boelo and Austen swept through northern Europe within 24 hours, causing one death in Scotland. Power outages affected more than 150,000 households in England, France, and Germany, disrupting flights and phone networks. Flood warnings were issued in several areas.
Severe storms struck northern Europe on Sunday, 25 October local time, resulting in at least one death, over 150,000 households without electricity, and disruptions to travel and phone networks. Storms Boelo and Austen hit different areas less than 24 hours apart.
Reports confirmed one man died in southwestern Scotland after being struck by a fallen tree. In Lille, northern France, a marathon runner suffered minor injuries from a tree toppled by strong winds near the race's start, the first marathon held there in 31 years.
Authorities reported that more than 82,000 households in the UK, nearly 60,000 in France, and at least 10,000 in Germany experienced power outages within 24 hours. The UK's Energy Networks Association noted that over 400,000 households had experienced outages during the storms.
In Argyll and Bute in western Scotland, wind speeds reached up to 135 kilometers per hour. Fallen trees and broken power lines blocked roads and railways across parts of Scotland and northern England. Authorities issued flood risk warnings for some areas in Scotland and England.
Power outages affected hospitals and mobile phone signals.
French energy company Enedis reported that during the peak of Storm Austen on Saturday, about 288,000 households lost power. Although the situation began to improve, around 59,000 households—mainly in Normandy and Brittany—remained without electricity by midday Sunday. The company deployed over 2,600 technicians and contractors to repair the electrical system.
In Germany, approximately 10,000 households in Freiburg im Breisgau and surrounding areas in the southwest lost power on Sunday. The main city hospital limited services to emergency patients only, as power outages also affected mobile phone networks.
Additionally, on Saturday, two people were seriously injured when scaffolding collapsed due to strong winds during an autumn market event in Neustetten. The German Meteorological Office forecasted continued strong winds along the northern coast, with speeds reaching up to 100 kilometers per hour.
Hundreds of flights were canceled or rerouted.
The storms' impact extended to the Netherlands and Belgium. In Brussels, four people were injured by falling trees on Saturday. Across northern Europe, hundreds of flights were canceled or rerouted.
Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, one of Europe's major aviation hubs, canceled several dozen flights on Sunday. AFP checked the airport's website, which showed about 90 cancellations, mostly flights to European cities such as Paris, Rome, and Dublin, along with many inbound cancellations. Flights in northern England and Scotland were also affected.
Meanwhile, parts of the disused Brighton pier on England's southern coast, closed since a fire in 2003, were damaged by Storm Austen's winds on Friday.
Experts warned that Europe may face increasingly severe extreme weather events due to global warming. This storm marks one of the first major autumn storms this year with widespread impact across multiple European countries.
Source:channelnewsasia
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