As storms moved through northern Europe, strong winds hit France and Britain hard today. Train travel was delayed, schools were closed, and hundreds of thousands of houses lost power in the freezing winter temperatures.
Reports from AFP said that forecasters from Britain to Germany told residents to stay inside because of weather warnings. These included the unusual, highest-level red wind alert for the British Isles of Scilly and Cornwall in southern England.
According to Enedis, the electricity company, Storm Goretti knocked off power to some 380,000 homes in France, mostly in the northern Normandy region.
At the same time, Britain’s National Grid said that 42,000 houses in southwest England lost power, and thousands more were affected in other parts of the country.
Authorities claimed that in France’s northwestern Manche area, winds of up to 216 kilometers per hour (134 miles per hour) were recorded overnight.
The gusts knocked down trees in a number of places, and at least one tree fell on homes in France’s Seine-Maritime area. No one was hurt, officials said.
The Met Office, a weather service, warned that “very large waves will bring dangerous conditions to coastal areas.” Winds of up to 160 kph hit England and Wales.
It also sent out an amber snow warning for Wales, middle England, and some parts of northern England. It said that some regions might get up to 30 centimeters (11 inches) of snow.
The UK’s National Rail has announced that train services would be delayed for the next two days and has asked people to stay home unless they have to travel.
At least eight people have died this week in incidents caused by the weather in Europe. The most recent was a man whose body was found in floodwater in the Albanian city of Durres yesterday after days of severe snow and rain across the Balkans.
No more school
In certain sections of northern France, schools stayed closed. Weather warnings have been issued in 30 other areas.
The Manche police told people on X yesterday to “take shelter and do not use your vehicle.” They also told people to get ready with emergency supplies.
Giant waves slammed over harbor walls in France’s far northwest overnight. As the storm progressed east, it caused floods and closed highways and ports, including Dieppe.
Hundreds of schools in Scotland stayed closed for the fifth day, and many students had not even returned to school following their Christmas break.
Another storm, dubbed Elli, delivered heavy snow and strong winds to northern Germany, causing major problems. Schools in Hamburg and Bremen were ordered to close, and long-distance trains across the north were canceled.
The German Weather Service (DWD) said that the north could get up to 15 centimeters (six inches) of snow and that the south could have icy conditions.
The DWD stated the storm would linger until tomorrow, with snow stopping on Monday.
Andreas Walter, a meteorologist with DWD, told AFP that the storm was unusual because winters have been milder in the last few years, which he said was a “consequence of climate change.”
He stated, “It’s still possible to have a cold month with snow, even though temperatures are rising because of climate change. But these things will happen less often in the future.”
Winter weather also caused problems for transportation in Russia. About 300 flights were canceled in the Moscow area as workers tried to clear runways and de-ice planes.
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