Several deaths as a result of Storm Ciarán in Western Europe

Heavy rain and winds caused chaos in Germany, France, Great Britain, Spain and the Netherlands. Many people die in falling tree accidents.

With storms and strong waves, Hurricane Ciaran hit northwest France and southwest England on Thursday night before the autumn storm hit the Netherlands and Germany. The authorities said that at least seven people were killed and several others were injured. In front of her family, a woman from Bavaria was killed by a falling tree in the Harz Mountains.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced that two people were killed and 15 others were injured, including seven firefighters. A truck driver died when he crashed into a fallen tree. In Le Havre, a man was caught by a gust of wind while closing his shutters and was fatally injured. Electricity was cut off for about 1.2 million families, and mobile phone communications were cut off for hundreds of thousands. Fallen trees closed roads and railway lines. There was significant property damage. 13,500 firefighters responded to approximately 3,500 missions. More than 1,300 people were transported to safety.

Schools in Great Britain were closed, and there was no more shipping traffic in the English Channel

Local winds reached speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour. For the three French departments of Finistère, Côte d’Armor and Manche, the highest storm warning level, in red, was in effect as of midnight, and the highest flood warning level was declared in two of them. Ciaran also caused major disruption in southern England. Hundreds of schools remained closed and the Port of Dover suspended shipping traffic across the English Channel for several hours.

All flights in the Channel Islands of Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney have been cancelled. Police forced 35 Jersey residents to stay in hotels due to damage to their homes due to the storm. In Cornwall, southwest England, more than 8,500 families were without electricity. Flood warnings were in force at 54 locations along the south coast.

In Goslar, Lower Saxony, local police said that a 46-year-old woman from Bavaria died when a tree fell. The Goslar District Fire Department said the storm had broken out in the Harz district “much stronger” than expected. According to information received from the early afternoon, two rural roads had to be closed due to fallen trees. Fire departments in North Rhine-Westphalia also reported an increase in storm operations, for example due to falling trees.

One person was also killed in the Netherlands as a result of the violent storm “Ciaran”. According to police, a tree fell in Venray and killed the person. Falling trees injured people in several other places, including a woman in The Hague. Cyclists were also injured by falling branches and trees.

Wind speed is 150 km/h in Spain

In Spain, the meteorological service expected wind gusts of up to 150 kilometers per hour. A red alert was issued in several coastal areas in the northwest, and the Meteorological Authority warned of tsunami waves reaching a height of nine metres. A woman was killed when a tree fell in central Madrid.

Airports in Bilbao and in the regions of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country canceled several flights. Train movement also stopped in some places. The Spanish authorities called on people to spend as little time as possible abroad.

In Portugal, the meteorological service issued a red alert for the coastal areas in the center and north of the country. However, according to him, the country is unlikely to be directly affected by the storm.

A Foehn storm is also expected in Austria on Thursday and Friday. But this is not as great as in Great Britain or France. According to the Geosphere Austria website, strong southerly winds of up to 90 km/h can be expected at the front of the depression. In some exposed locations, wind speeds can exceed 100 km/h. (Abba)