Storms batter Europe, hitting power supplies, flights and phones

Storms have battered northern Europe, killing a man, cutting power to more than 150,000 homes and disrupting travel and phone networks.

A man died when a tree fell on him in southwestern Scotland, while a runner in a marathon in northern France was injured when a tree was felled by strong winds during the race.

More than 82,000 homes in Britain, nearly 60,000 in France and at least 10,000 in Germany had power cuts inflicted by the passage of storms Boelo and Austen within 24 hours of each other, authorities in the countries said.

In the Argyll and Bute region of western Scotland, winds of up to 135km/h were recorded. Trees and power cables brought down by the storm blocked roads and rail lines across Scotland and northern England.

Britain’s Energy Networks Association said more than 400,000 homes had lost power at some stage during the storms.

Part of the pier at Brighton on the southern England coast, unused since a fire in 2003, blew away in Storm Austen on Friday.

The powerful winds also battered northern France as Europe battled its first big autumn storms of the year. Experts have warned of more extreme weather events because of global warming.

Authorities warned of flood risk in regions in Scotland and England.

A runner was injured in the northern French city of Lille near the start of the city’s marathon, which was being staged for the first time in 31 years.

Widespread power cuts

French energy company Enedis said that at the peak of storm Austen on Saturday, about 288,000 homes had no electricity.

About 59,000 remained without power at midday Sunday, mainly in Normandy and Brittany. It said 2600 Enedis technicians and contractors were working to re-establish power.

In Germany, Austen cut power to 10,000 homes in and around the southwestern town of Freiburg-Brisgau on Sunday. The town’s main hospital said it had had to limit service to emergency cases because of the blackout that also cut the mobile phone network.

Two people were seriously hurt on Saturday by scaffolding blown away by Austen’s winds during an autumn market at the town of Nastatten, German police said.

Germany’s DWD weather agency predicted more powerful winds of up to 100km/h on the northern coast on Sunday.

The storms also hit the Netherlands and Belgium, where falling trees injured four people in Brussels on Saturday.

Hundreds of flights were cancelled or diverted because of the storms across northern Europe.

Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, one of Europe’s busiest hubs, cancelled dozens of flights Sunday.

AFP counted about 90 flights cancelled on the airport website, mainly to European cities including Paris, Rome and Dublin. Dozens of flights due to land at the airport were also cancelled.

Flights in northern England and Scotland were also hit by the storms.

- AFP