Another “storm of the decade” similar in intensity to storms that struck Europe last December has swept across northern Europe, killing at least thee people and doing billions of dollars worth of damage.
The worst weather hit Great Britain, with the southern half of the country thrown into chaos. France, the Netherlands and Sweden were also hit hard, and thousands of passengers were stranded at sea on ferries that were unable to land.
Airline operations were thrown into chaos across the continent, and there were extensive flight delays between North America and Europe. Rail travel in the United Kingdom was thrown into disarray, and the Eurostar train between England and France via the channel tunnel was cancelled.
France was also hard-hit, and the French Meteorological Office recommended “the greatest prudence” in coastal areas. Colin Donelly of the British Meteorological Office said “this is certainly the worst since the storm of October, 1987.”
Winds in Britain gusted up to 93 miles an hour in South Wales, and two inches of rain fell during a nine hour period in Larkhill in Witshire. A rare tornado destroyed a trailer park in Selsey, Sussex.
Severe floods struck across southern England, and wind-driven snow made travel hazardous in the northern part of the country.
An Italian cargo ship, the Ievoly Sun, was reported in difficulty off Brittany in 100+ MPH winds.
Sweden was hit by an early snowfall that caught both weather officials and weekend holidaymakers by surprise. The main east coast route was blocked by a snow-related accident and police warned motorists to stay home.
Gale force 10 winds were expected today.
Unseasonable snow struck Maine in the US, and an unusual flow of warm air swept northward across the central US.
Last November, Norwegian scientists discovered that the North Atlantic Current was slowing down due to warming ocean temperatures, and theorized that much colder, harder winters were on their way in Europe. For the full story, click here.
Related stories:
For the Reuters report click here. For the BBC Online report click here.
For stories about last year’s European storms, click here.
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