Transport chaos as powerful storm sweeps across Europe
Print Edition
A POWERFUL winter storm battered Europe yesterday, killing one woman and leaving 330,000 homes without power in France as flights and train services were canceled and coastal areas put on flood alert.
Britain issued nearly a dozen severe flood warnings, meaning there was a risk of severe flooding and danger to life, and urged thousands of people in several seaside communities to evacuate their homes.
The storm, officially named Egon, also battered Belgium and Germany, where the key international hub of Frankfurt airport canceled 120 flights, according to German media.
Eurostar canceled two trains between London and Paris, while 180 passengers were forced to spend a chilly night on a high-speed Thalys train from Brussels to the French capital that finally arrived 10 hours late.
“We stopped on the tracks at around 9pm,” said Eduardo Soteras, one of the passengers.
“At first we had electricity, but then it cut. We found ourselves in the dark without heating.”
In France, a woman was killed by a falling tree in her garden in a village near the Mediterranean resort of Nice, while another woman in Albania was found dead outside her home in the southern town of Saranda on Thursday.
Of the death in France, a police official said: “She died in front of her children. Her husband immediately tried to help by cutting the tree but it was too late.”
The rose window of a famous Gothic cathedral in Soissons in northern France was also badly damaged.
Homeless, migrants at risk
Winds of up to 146 kilometers an hour hit France’s Channel port of Dieppe overnight, while parts of Germany were bracing for up to 30 centimeters of snow, according to German weather officials.
Since the end of last week, a winter cold snap across Europe has killed more than 60 people, with homeless and migrants stranded in countries such as Greece and Serbia most at risk.
“Severe winter weather struck southeastern Europe, with extreme cold and snow in Italy, the Balkans and Turkey, the UN weather agency said.
“This caused many accidents on roads, school closures, canceled flights and hardship for the homeless and refugees.”
The World Meteorological Organization said the high-pressure weather system was “moving slowly eastwards over Europe.”
Flood warnings were put in place for much of England’s east coast, while in the Netherlands pumps were used to lower water levels in Amsterdam and surrounding areas, according to Dutch news agency ANP.
Thousands of residents in Skegness in eastern England were urged to leave their homes or move to upper floors while, further south, villagers in Jaywick were also warned to evacuate ahead of high tide.
Temporary shelters were set up for local residents, but some appeared reluctant to leave.
“While I know that the police are putting on extra patrols, they can’t cover the whole area the whole time,” Rebecca Kenny, 31, told the Press Association news agency. She decided to remain at home in the village.
Some 100 soldiers were standing by in Skegness to help and the Royal Air Force was checking for damage.
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