150,000 homes left dark as twin storms hit northern Europe
Storms Boelo and Austen caused power outages, flight cancellations, and one fatality across the UK, France, and Germany.
By Yasmin Nasser ·
More than 150,000 homes in northern Europe were without electricity on Sunday after two powerful storms struck the region within 24 hours. The systems, named Boelo and Austen, caused widespread disruptions to power, rail, and air travel. One man died during the events.
The weather pattern began earlier in the week. Storm Austen made landfall on Friday, blowing away an unused pier in Brighton, England. By Saturday, Austen reached peak intensity in France, leaving 288,000 homes without power. It then moved into Germany, where it damaged a market in Nastatten and knocked down trees in Freiburg. Storm Boelo followed immediately, bringing high winds to the United Kingdom on Sunday.
In the United Kingdom, the storms affected more than 82,000 homes. Winds reached 135 kilometers per hour in the Argyll and Bute region of western Scotland. A falling tree killed a 60-year-old man in southwestern Scotland. Two women were injured by another fallen tree in central Scotland. The Met Office warned that Boelo posed a danger to life from flying debris and crashing waves. They advised people to stay indoors. Flooding risks were cited in parts of Scotland and England.
France remained the hardest hit for power outages. The utility company Enedis reported that 59,000 homes still lacked electricity at midday on Sunday. The outages were concentrated in Normandy and Brittany. A marathon runner in northern France suffered minor injuries when a tree fell during a race. In Germany, 10,000 homes in and around Freiburg-Breisgau lost power on Sunday. The local main hospital restricted service to emergency cases. The blackout also cut the mobile phone network. Two people were seriously injured by scaffolding in Nastatten on Saturday.
The storms also impacted the Netherlands and Belgium. In Brussels, four people were injured by falling trees on Saturday. Off the coast of Schiermonnikoog, three crew members on a freight ship were injured. Two were airlifted to a mainland hospital. Hundreds of flights were canceled or diverted across the region. Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, one of the busiest hubs in Europe, saw significant disruptions.
The next 24 hours will see continued monitoring of the storm systems. Authorities in the affected countries are working to restore power and clear debris from roads and rail lines. The UK Met Office will issue further updates as Boelo moves across the region.
Source: Al Jazeera
