BRUSSELS: The relentless force of Storm Ciaran wreaked havoc across Western Europe, with record-breaking wind speeds reaching up to 200 kilometers per hour, resulting in at least 10 fatalities and causing widespread travel chaos, including port closures and disruptions to flights and rail services.
Italian authorities confirmed three casualties in Tuscany as the region experienced record rainfall and declared a state of emergency. Among the victims was an 85-year-old man found drowned in his own home. Tuscany governor Eugenio Giani attributed the catastrophic events to “climate change,” emphasizing the far-reaching consequences of such extreme weather patterns.
Florence Mayor Dario Nardella described the situation in the city as “critical” as it grappled with the impact of the storm.
The lethal consequences of the tempest were largely attributed to trees being felled by gale-force winds. In Ghent, Belgium, a five-year-old Ukrainian boy and a 64-year-old woman lost their lives due to falling branches.
Tragically, falling trees claimed lives in various other European regions as well. In northern France’s Aisne region, a lorry driver perished inside his vehicle. In Le Havre, French authorities reported the death of a man who fell from his balcony. Additional casualties included a man in the Dutch town of Venray, a woman in central Madrid, and an individual in Germany.
France bore the brunt of the storm’s impact, with approximately 1.2 million households experiencing power outages as Ciaran lashed the northwest coast. Almost 700,000 homes remained without electricity, as reported by network manager Enedis.
French President Emmanuel Macron planned to visit the storm-affected Brittany region to assess the damage and provide support to the affected communities.
The storm led to disruptions in rail, air, and maritime transportation in Belgium. The port of Antwerp was closed, and flights from Brussels were significantly affected. In Brittany, the wind gusts reached “exceptional” levels, with Pointe du Raz on the northwest coast recording gusts as high as 207 km/h (129 mph). Brest, a port city in the region, experienced winds of 156 km/h.
Southern England witnessed the destructive force of the storm, with hundreds of schools closed due to powerful waves crashing along the coastline, fueled by winds reaching speeds of 135 km/h.
On Jersey, a Channel Island, residents had to be evacuated to hotels overnight as gusts of up to 164 km/h caused significant damage to homes.
Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, a major European transportation hub, saw more than 200 flight cancellations. Air, rail, and ferry services experienced widespread disruptions, delays, and cancellations in multiple countries.
In Spain, over 80 flights were canceled at 11 airports, adding to the extensive travel turmoil caused by the storm.
The annual Dutch “headwind cycle championships” race, typically held along the Oosterscheldekering storm surge barrier in the western Netherlands, had to be postponed for the first time due to the overpowering winds of Storm Ciaran.
The French weather service issued warnings of continued storms into the following day, particularly in the southwest of the country and on the island of Corsica. Transport Minister Clement Beaune announced that rail services in western parts of France would remain disrupted on the upcoming day, prolonging the consequences of the powerful storm.
