Storms and blizzards cause disruption and deaths in Europe

Maps show record snowfall across Europe Strong winds and storms hit northern Europe this Friday (9), causing transport chaos, school closures and power cuts for hundreds of thousands of people in freezing temperatures. More than 13 people have died in weather-related accidents this week across Europe. The latest deaths occurred in Bavaria, in southern Germany, where a storm-related traffic accident left two people dead on Friday morning, police said. Also in Bavaria, a 52-year-old man died this Thursday after his vehicle left the road and collided with a tree, local police reported. Coastal defenses were torn away and destroyed on Praia da Sereia (Mermaid Beach) after Storm Goretti hit the United Kingdom, in Folkestone, Great Britain REUTERS/Chris J. Ratcliffe Disruption in Germany Northern Germany faced serious disruption due to the strong . The country’s rail operator, Deutsche Bahn, said traffic would gradually resume throughout Saturday. Flights were canceled or delayed at Hamburg airport, while several main highways were paralyzed, including a few hundred kilometers south in the Frankfurt region. The German weather service warned of hurricane-force winds in areas of the North Sea and southwest, and up to 15 centimeters of snow in some parts of the country on Friday. The automobile company Volkswagen closed this Friday its factory in Emden, in northeast Germany, where around 8,000 people work. Two Bundesliga matches scheduled for Saturday have been canceled due to current weather conditions, the German Football Association (DFL) announced. The games postponed were the duels between St. Pauli and RB Leipzig, and Werder Bremen against Hoffenheim. People watch departures boards showing delayed and canceled flights at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, as snowfall causes disruptions to air, rail and road traffic in the Netherlands REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw SEE PHOTOS of Storm Goretti across Europe Weather warnings in France Schools remained closed in parts of northern France, with weather warnings also being issued in 30 other regions. Giant waves hit ports in the far northwest of France overnight and, as the storm moved east, it caused flooding and forced the closure of highways and ports. Storm Goretti cut power supplies to around 320,000 homes, most of them in the northern Normandy region, energy supplier Enedis said. Overnight, winds of up to 216 kilometers per hour were recorded in the northwestern Manche region of France, authorities said. Snow on the outskirts of Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, causing disruptions to air, rail and road traffic in the Netherlands, in Schiphol, Netherlands, January 6, 2026. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/File Photo Nuclear power plant shut down due to bad weather Wind gusts of up to 213 kilometers per hour hit the English Channel coast overnight from Thursday to Friday, toppling trees, tearing off roofs buildings and causing serious disruption to transport. There were no initial reports of casualties. French state-owned electricity company Électricité de France (EDF) announced on Friday that it had shut down the Flamanville nuclear plant in the English Channel due to a strong storm. The French Nuclear Safety and Radiological Protection Authority (ASNR) reported that the shutdown does not pose a risk to the public or the environment. Winds and storms in the UK Air traffic was disrupted across Europe, from the Czech Republic to Moscow, where more than 300 flights were canceled at four airports serving the Russian capital. Wind gusts of up to 100 miles per hour hit England, Wales and Scotland, with the Met Office weather forecasting agency warning of very large waves that would bring “dangerous conditions to coastal areas.” The agency also issued an orange snow warning for Wales, central England and parts of the north of the country, forecasting snow of up to 30 centimeters in some areas. In London, around 50 flights were canceled at Heathrow airport, affecting thousands of passengers. Forecasters have issued a rare, higher-level red wind warning for the Isles of Scilly and Cornwall in southwest England. Almost 50,000 homes in England and Wales were still without power on Friday afternoon, according to energy supplier National Grid. The snow and winds brought by the storm have closed more than 250 schools in Scotland, which has been experiencing severe weather for much of the first week back to school after the Christmas break. Deaths in Türkiye The Turkish press reported five deaths in recent days in the country. Two people died in separate accidents involving falls from roofs; a Syrian man died when a wall collapsed on him, a construction worker was swept into the Aegean Sea and an elderly man fell from a roof. rc (AFP, Reuters, DPA)

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