In England, over 140,000 homes had their power cut off, while in Ireland, 55,000 homes and businesses were reported to have been left without power. Storm Eunice has also severely affected the transport network in the UK.
The record-breaking winds in Britain have forced millions to take shelter as it disrupted flights, trains, and ferries across Western Europe.
London, the capital of Britain, was placed under its first-ever “red” weather warning. This meant that there was a “danger to life.” There is a similar rare alert level across southern England, South Wales, and the Netherlands.
Many schools closed, and rail travel was hindered as towering waves breached sea walls along the coasts.
According to the Dutch emergency services, two people were killed by falling trees in the Netherlands.
A man was killed by a tree in southeast Ireland, while a Canadian man aged 79 died in Belgium, according to police.
According to the Met Office, a wind gust of 196 kilometers per hour was measured on the Isle of Wight off southern England,
“provisionally the highest gust ever recorded in England.”
Britain’s highest pub in Yorkshire, Tan Hill, was busy preparing even if the winds remained merely windy in the region of northern England.
“Sting Jet” and warnings in the area
The scientists warned that the Atlantic storm’s tail could pack a “sting jet”. This is a rarely seen meteorological phenomenon that caused Britain and northern France havoc in the “Great Storm” of 1987.
Eunice caused high waves to batter the Brittany coast in northwest France, while Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden all issued weather warnings. Long-distance and regional trains were halted in northern Germany.
Ferries across the world’s busied shipping lane, the channel was suspended before the English port of Dover reopened late in the afternoon.
Multiple flights were canceled or delayed at various airports across Europe. One easyJet flight from Bordeaux had to endure two aborted landings at Gatwick before returning to the French city.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has placed the British army on standby, tweeted:
“We should all follow the advice and take precautions to keep safe.”
Environment Agency official Roy Stokes warned weather-watchers and amateur photographers against heading to Britain’s southern coastline searching for dramatic footage, calling it “probably the most stupid thing you can do.”
Impact of the climate?
London’s rush-hour streets, where activity has been slowly returning to pre-pandemic levels, were virtually deserted as many heeded to the government’s advice to stay home.
Before seven rail operators in England suspended all operations into the capital, they already ran limited services during the morning commute, with speed limits in place.
The London Fire Brigade declared a “major incident” after taking 550 emergency calls in just over two hours — although it complained that several were “unhelpful,” including one from a resident complaining about a neighbor’s garden trampoline blowing around.
The RAC breakdown service said it was receiving lower numbers of callouts on Britain’s main roads, indicating that motorists are
“taking the weather warnings seriously and not setting out.”
The storm forced Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, to postpone a trip to South Wales on Friday “in the interests of public safety,” his office said Thursday.
Another storm, Dudley, had caused transport disruption and power outages when it hit Britain on Wednesday, although the damage caused by it was not widespread.
Experts say the frequency and intensity of the storms could not be linked necessarily to climate change. However, Professor Richard Allan, professor of climate science at the University of Reading, said that a heating planet led to intense rainfall and higher sea levels.
Therefore, he said that flooding from coastal storm surges and prolonged deluges would worsen when similar rare and explosive storms hit us in a warmer world.
Edited By- Subbuthai Padma
Published By- Satheesh Kumar
