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Hurricane Younis: Millions affected by strong winds, strong waves in northern Europe Photos and Videos

February 19, 2022
Bharat Times

An Atlantic storm with record winds tore through northwest Europe on Friday, at least nine people killedThousands of power outages, trees uprooted by high winds, train services canceled and the roof of London’s O2 Arena cut down.

The second major storm, Hurricane Eunice, hit western England and hit Cornwall on Friday, where waves lashed the coast, sending plumes of spray dozens of meters into the air.

The white domed roof of the O2 Arena appears to be damaged by the wind, as a red weather warning was issued in London on 18 February due to Storm Eunice. (Photo: Reuters)

The UK Weather Service said that temporarily measured at 122 mph (196 kph), considered the strongest ever recorded in England, was on the Isle of Wight as Storm Eunice moved south of the country. I was swept away.

This storm is also affecting other northern European countries including Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands.

At least three people were killed in Britain, including one in southern England after a car hit a tree, another man whose windshield was hit by rubble in north west England and a 30-year-old. A woman was killed after falling on a car in London. , said the police.

Waves crash against the breakwater during Storm Eunice in Vimreux, France, on February 18. (Reuters)

In the Netherlands, three people died after falling trees in and around Amsterdam, and a quarter died after their car hit a fallen tree in the northern province of Groningen.

In the Belgian city of Tournai, high winds caused a crane to crash onto the roof of a hospital. There were no immediate reports of any deaths, although local media said there were injuries without giving any details.

People take pictures as waves break on a beach in the wake of Hurricane Younis in Blankenburg, Belgium, on February 18. (Reuters)

In another incident, a 79-year-old British man was killed after falling from his boat at a marina on a waterway in the northern city of Ypres amid strong winds, media reported.

A boat hangs from a tree uprooted by Hurricane Eunice in Voorburg, Netherlands, on Friday, February 18, 2022. (AP)

In County Wexford, Ireland, a local government employee was killed as he responded to the scene of a fallen tree, the local council said.

Rain clouds are seen over a pile of poolbag chimneys during Storm Eunice in Dublin, Ireland on February 18. (Reuters)

Younis is the second storm to hit Europe this week, with the first one killing at least five people in Germany and Poland. Peter Innes, a meteorologist at the University of Reading in England, attributed the storms to an unusually strong jet stream over the eastern Atlantic Ocean, with winds of 200 mph (321 kph) at high altitudes.

Before Britain was hit by the full force of the storm, Eunice disrupted travel in southern England and Wales, disrupting many train services and canceling many flights and ferry services.

Signs showing cancellations across the board looking at passengers’ options as all trains to and from Waterloo station are canceled due to bad weather, in London, Friday, February 18, 2022. (AP)

At some British airports, gusts of wind caused aircraft to accelerate so much that pilots were forced to abandon landing.

In London, high winds ripped off parts of the roof from 02 Arena, a landmark on the south bank of the River Thames originally known as the Millennium Dome. Firefighters evacuated 1,000 people from the area.

The white domed roof of the O2 Arena is seen damaged by the wind as a red weather warning is issued due to Storm Eunice in London on February 18. (Reuters)

Hurricane Eunice raised concerns because it had the potential to generate a “sting jet,” a small area of ​​strong winds that can exceed 100 mph.

Friedrich Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College who specializes in extreme weather events, said there is no evidence that climate change is causing more violent storms in Europe.

But she said the damage from such storms has increased because rainfall has become more intense as a result of human-caused climate change.

“The other is that sea levels have risen,” said Otto, who is part of World Weather Attribution, which examines the link between extreme weather and global warming. “This means that hurricane flooding, which also occurs during such storms, (is) greater and therefore causes more damage than would occur without climate change.”

(with inputs from AP, Reuters)

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