Storm Amy Brings Chaos to Europe With Hurricane-Force Winds and Heavy Rain
8362 Mins Read
Storm Amy swept across Europe over the weekend, unleashing strong winds and heavy rain that killed at least three people, damaged infrastructure and left tens of thousands without electricity, authorities said.
The storm has struck Ireland, France, the United Kingdom and parts of Scandinavia since Friday, disrupting road, rail and sea transport and forcing widespread safety closures.
In Ireland, police said a man was killed Friday in the northwestern town of Letterkenny in a weather-related incident.
In France, local officials said two men died on Saturday as winds of more than 130 kilometers per hour (81 miles per hour) battered the country’s north. A 48-year-old drowned after swimming near Étretat, close to Le Havre, while a 25-year-old was killed when a falling tree branch struck his car in the Aisne region.
Météo-France, the national weather service, said the storm was moving toward the British Isles, bringing strong gusts across coastal and inland departments in northern France. The agency issued an orange alert for several areas as wind speeds reached 110 km/h (68 mph) inland.
Power supplier Enedis said around 5,000 homes in Normandy were without electricity on Saturday morning, with 2,000 still affected by midday.
Power Cuts and Transport Disruptions Across Britain and Ireland
In the United Kingdom, the Met Office reported gusts of up to 154 km/h (95 mph) on the island of Tiree, off Scotland’s west coast. London’s royal parks were closed as a precaution.
More than 200,000 buildings in Ireland and Northern Ireland lost power, while fallen trees blocked major roads and railways across Scotland, forcing the suspension of several ferry services.
Belgium, Scandinavia Also Hit
In Belgium, authorities issued an orange weather alert as winds exceeded 100 km/h (62 mph) nationwide. Ostend officials closed the city’s breakwaters for the weekend and activated a national hotline for non-urgent emergencies.
Further north, Sweden, Denmark and Norway also reported extensive storm damage. Tens of thousands of homes were left without electricity as high winds brought down trees and power lines.
Emergency officials in Norway said several roofs were blown off and more than 100 roads were closed, mainly in the country’s western regions. Up to 100 millimeters (four inches) of rain were forecast in some areas within 12 hours.
In Sweden, the national meteorological institute SMHI issued an orange alert for southern and western regions, including Scania and the Skagerrak coast, as strong gusts and heavy rainfall swept across the country.
