LONDON
• A powerful winter storm battered Europe yesterday, killing one woman and leaving 330,000 homes without power in France as flights and train services were cancelled and coastal areas put on flood alert.

Britain issued nearly a dozen severe flood warnings, meaning there was a risk of severe flooding and danger to life, and urged thousands of people to evacuate their homes in several seaside communities.

The storm, named Egon, also battered Belgium and Germany, where the key international hub of Frankfurt airport cancelled 120 flights, according to German media.

Eurostar cancelled two trains between London and Paris, while 180 passengers were forced to spend a chilly night on a high-speed Thalys train from Brussels to the French capital that finally arrived 10 hours late.

"We stopped on the tracks at around 9pm," said Mr Eduardo Soteras, a passenger on the train.

"At first we had electricity, but then it (was) cut. We found ourselves in the dark without heating."

In France, a woman was killed by a falling tree in her garden in a village near the Mediterranean resort of Nice, while another woman in Albania was found dead on Thursday outside her home in the southern town of Saranda.

"She died in front of her children. Her husband immediately tried to help by cutting the tree, but it was too late," a French police official said of the death there.

Winds of up to 146kmh hit France's Channel port of Dieppe overnight, while parts of Germany were bracing for up to 30cm of snow yesterday.

Since the end of last week, a winter cold snap across Europe has killed more than 60 people, with homeless people and migrants stranded in countries such as Greece and Serbia most at risk.

Separately, an ice storm heading for the central United States was threatening to take down trees and power lines and create treacherous travel conditions yesterday and into the weekend, the National Weather Service said.

Ice, freeze rain and winter storm warnings were in effect for a large swathe of the Plains, from the Texas panhandle north into Iowa and east through central Indiana, it added. </s> LONDON—A powerful winter storm battered Europe on Friday, knocking power out for 330,000 homes in France, prompting the evacuation of thousands of seaside dwellers in Britain and disrupting travel.

Britain issued more than a dozen severe flood warnings, meaning there was a risk of danger to life, and deployed the military to help thousands of people to evacuate their homes in several seaside communities.

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Since the end of last week, a winter cold snap across Europe has killed more than 60 people, with homeless people and migrants stranded in countries like Greece and Serbia most at risk.

In France, a woman was killed by a falling tree in her garden in a village near the Mediterranean resort of Nice, while another woman in Albania was found dead on Thursday outside her home in the southern town of Saranda.

“She died in front of her children. Her husband immediately tried to help by cutting the tree but it was too late,” a French police official said of the death there.

The storm, officially named Egon, also battered Belgium and Germany, where the key international hub of Frankfurt airport cancelled 120 flights.

At one point overnight, 330,000 homes were without power in France, although this was reduced to 35,000 by Friday night.

Eurostar cancelled two trains between London and Paris, while 180 passengers were forced to spend a chilly night on a high-speed Thalys train from Brussels to the French capital that finally arrived 10 hours late.

“At first we had electricity, but then it cut. We found ourselves in the dark without heating,” said Eduardo Soteras, a photographer who was on the train.

‘Hardship for homeless and refugees’

Winds of up to 146 kilometres (90 miles) an hour hit France’s Channel port of Dieppe overnight, while parts of Germany were bracing for up to 30 centimetres (12 inches) of snow, according to German weather officials.

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The rose window of a famous Gothic cathedral in Soissons in northern France was also badly damaged.

“Severe winter weather struck southeastern Europe, with extreme cold and snow in Italy, the Balkans and Turkey. This caused many accidents on roads, school closures, cancelled flights and hardship for the homeless and refugees,” the UN weather agency said.

The World Meteorological Organization said in a statement that the high-pressure weather system was moving slowly eastwards over Europe.

In Ukraine, officials said sub-zero temperatures across the country have claimed 40 lives since late December.

British troops on standby

Flood warnings were put in place for much of England’s east coast, while in the Netherlands pumps were used to lower water levels in Amsterdam and surrounding areas, according to Dutch news agency ANP.

Thousands of residents in Skegness and Great Yarmouth, both in eastern England, were urged to leave their homes or move to upper floors, while further south, villagers in Jaywick were also warned to evacuate ahead of high tide.

Around 200 troops were deployed to Great Yarmouth to help evacuate more than 5,000 homes, while 100 soldiers were standing by in Skegness to help out.

Temporary shelters were set up for local residents, but some appeared reluctant to leave — even in Jaywick, where 35 people died in floods in 1953.

“With the security risk, I don’t really want to leave the house,” Jaywick resident Rebecca Kenny, 31, told the Press Association news agency.

“While I know the police are putting on extra patrols, they can’t cover the whole area the whole time.”

Floods minister Therese Coffey said: “Our absolute priority is protecting lives, homes and businesses from the threat of coastal flooding currently facing the east coast.

“That is why we have soldiers on the ground helping to warn and evacuate people alongside the emergency services and environment agency teams, who are putting up temporary defenses.”

Click here for more weather related news."

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MOST READ </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Winter storm Eleanor has swept into most of northern Europe

Three people have died as winter storm Eleanor swept across most of northern Europe, causing widescale disruption.

A skier died in the French Alps and 15 others were injured elsewhere in the country, four of them seriously.

Two people were killed when they were swept away by a huge wave on Spain's northern Basque coast.

The storm, which hit most of northern Europe after battering the UK, has also cut power to tens of thousands of homes and affected transport.

Winds reached up to 100mph (160km/h) in the UK and 147km/h (90mph) in France.

Storm Eleanor is the UK's fifth named storm of the season.

In northern France, the storm cut power to more than 200,000 households and Eleanor is set to move to other regions throughout the day, including Corsica.

Air travel was also disrupted in the capital, Paris, and in the east of the country.

In Paris, the Eiffel Tower was closed because of the strong winds. The city's parks have also been closed until the storm dies down because of worries over falling tree branches.

A skier was killed by a falling tree in Morillon, in the Haute-Savoie region of eastern France.

Image copyright EPA Image caption A train overturned near Lenk in central Switzerland, lightly injuring several people

Image copyright EPA Image caption A lorry overturned on a busy road in Switzerland

Image copyright AFP Image caption A roof lies in pieces in a street in Stuttgart, south-western Germany, after the storm

In Germany, the storm - named Burglind there - has swept over much of the country. It packed gusts of more than 120km/h (70mph) in the west of the country and led to transport disruption, reports say.

Switzerland has also been badly hit, with some 14,000 homes without power, and several injured after a train was blown off its tracks.

The high winds left several people stranded in a ski lift in St Gallen canton, overturned a light airplane in Stans and snapped the 13m (42ft) high Christmas tree in the capital Bern, Reuters news agency reports.

Meanwhile, record wind gusts of 195km/h (122mph) were recorded on Pilatus Peak near the Swiss city of Lucerne, broadcaster SRF reported.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Waves pound the seafront in Auderville, Normandy

Belgium was put on "orange" alert, the third of four warning levels, with officials urging people to be cautious when going out because of tree branches and other flying objects.

In the Netherlands, gusts of more than 110km/h (68mph) were recorded as hundreds of flights were cancelled at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport.

One person was hit by a falling tree, and several main roads and train lines were also closed.

Dutch authorities have, for the first time, shut all five major sea barriers to prevent flooding, as large areas of the country are below sea level.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption A car drives along a flooded road in Merseyside, UK

In the UK thousands of homes are without power and travel has been disrupted after Storm Eleanor hit there.

The Met Office recorded gusts reaching 100mph (160km/h) overnight on Wednesday with a weather yellow warning still in place for Wales, England, most of Northern Ireland and parts of southern Scotland.

In the Republic of Ireland, 97mph gusts were recorded, and there was flooding, travel disruption and damage to buildings. </s> Winter storm Eleanor swept across Europe on Wednesday, causing widespread damage and disruptions that have snarled transport and cut power to tens of thousands of people.

A 21-year-old skier was killed by a falling tree at Morillon in the French Alps while 15 people have been injured by the storm across the country, four of them seriously, civil defence spokesman Michael Bernier told AFP.

Another person was hurt by a falling tree in the southern Dutch village of Heesch.

Heavy winds forced authorities to close the airports in Strasbourg and Basel-Mulhouse on France`s border with Germany and Switzerland before they were reopened shortly after midday.

At Paris`s Charles de Gaulle airport, where gusts of up to 134 kilometres per hour (83 mph) were recorded, 60 percent of departures were delayed Wednesday morning, as were a third of arrivals. A handful of flights had to be rerouted before the winds eased back slightly.

The winds were also wreaking havoc with train services and motorway access in several French regions, the result of fallen trees, cable lines and other objects.

About 225,000 homes across France were without electricity, while "particularly intense" flooding was expected on the Atlantic coasts.

The Eiffel Tower, which had to turn away tourists in the morning because of the gusts, reopened at 3:30 pm (1430 GMT), though access to the top deck remained off-limits as required when winds exceed 80 kph.Eleanor barrelled into continental Europe after whipping across England, Northern Ireland and Ireland, with the Thames Barrier, one of the largest movable flood barriers in the world, closed as a precautionary measure to protect London from swelling tides.

"We have seen some heavy showers push through across the south of the UK along with hail, loud thunder and lightning, which has woken people up," said meteorologist Becky Mitchell.

Gusts of 160 kph (100 mph) were recorded at Great Dun Fell in Westmorland, northwest England, while overturned vehicles and trees caused closures of major motorways.

In Ireland, power supply company ESB said electricity had been restored to 123,000 customers, while 27,000 remained without power.

Streets around the docks in Galway on the west coast were flooded after high tides breached the sea defences, prompting the deployment of about two dozen troops to support flood defence efforts.Belgium and parts of Spain were also put on "orange" alert, the third of four warning levels, with officials urging people to exercise caution when venturing out.

In the Netherlands, 252 of about 1,200 flights were cancelled at Amsterdam`s Schiphol airport, a key European hub, as weather alerts were issued for several regions.

Several main roads and train lines were also closed as officials rushed to prepare flooding defences.

Flights were also disrupted at Frankfurt`s airport in Germany, where the storm has been baptised Burglind, and at Zurich airport, as Swiss officials urged hikers to avoid forest walks.

RTS television reported that about 14,000 homes were without power in several Swiss cantons.

Most ski resorts in the Swiss and northern French Alps were closed, with average gusts of 150 kph but which had reached 250 kph at France`s Les Arcs resort.

"You`re better off staying in front of the fire today," said David Ponson, a ski official in Savoie.

Eleanor is the fourth major storm to hit Europe since December.

The storm is now heading for the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, where meteorologists are warning of violent gusts that could reach 200 kph. </s> LONDON (AFP) - A powerful winter storm battered Europe on Friday (Jan 13), killing one woman and leaving 330,000 homes without power in France as flights and train services were cancelled and coastal areas put on flood alert.

Britain issued nearly a dozen severe flood warnings, meaning there was a risk of severe flooding and danger to life, and urged thousands of people to evacuate their homes in several seaside communities.

The storm, officially named Egon, also battered Belgium and Germany, where the key international hub of Frankfurt airport cancelled 120 flights, according to German media.

Eurostar cancelled two trains between London and Paris, while 180 passengers were forced to spend a chilly night on a high-speed Thalys train from Brussels to the French capital that finally arrived 10 hours late.

"We stopped on the tracks at around 9pm," said Eduardo Soteras, a passenger on the train.

"At first we had electricity, but then it cut. We found ourselves in the dark without heating." .

In France, a woman was killed by a falling tree in her garden in a village near the Mediterranean resort of Nice, while another woman in Albania was found dead on Thursday outside her home in the southern town of Saranda.

"She died in front of her children. Her husband immediately tried to help by cutting the tree but it was too late," a French police official said of the death there.

The rose window of a famous Gothic cathedral in Soissons in northern France was also badly damaged.

Winds of up to 146 km an hour hit France's Channel port of Dieppe overnight, while parts of Germany were bracing for up to 30cm of snow on Friday, according to German weather officials.

Since the end of last week, a winter cold snap across Europe has killed more than 60 people, with homeless people and migrants stranded in countries like Greece and Serbia most at risk.

"Severe winter weather struck southeastern Europe, with extreme cold and snow in Italy, the Balkans and Turkey. This caused many accidents on roads, school closures, cancelled flights and hardship for the homeless and refugees," the UN weather agency said.

The World Meteorological Organisation said in a statement that the high-pressure weather system was "moving slowly eastwards over Europe".

Flood warnings were put in place for much of England's east coast, while in the Netherlands pumps were used to lower water levels in Amsterdam and surrounding areas, according to Dutch news agency ANP.

Thousands of residents in Skegness in eastern England were urged to leave their homes or move to upper floors, while further south villagers in Jaywick were also warned to evacuate ahead of high tide.

Temporary shelters were set up for local residents, but some appeared reluctant to leave.

"While I know the police are putting on extra patrols, they can't cover the whole area the whole time," Jaywick resident Rebecca Kenny, 31, told the Press Association news agency.

"With the security risk, I don't really want to leave the house," she said.

Some 100 soldiers were standing by in Skegness to help out and the Royal Air Force is checking for damage.

"Our absolute priority is protecting lives, homes and businesses from the threat of coastal flooding currently facing the east coast," floods minister Therese Coffey said.

"That is why we have soldiers on the ground helping to warn and evacuate people alongside the emergency services and environment agency teams, who are putting up temporary defences," she said.

The storm brought the first snowfall of the year to the British capital, prompting the usual mix of excitement and frustration from Londoners on social media. </s> LONDON: A powerful winter storm battered Europe on Friday, killing one woman and leaving 330,000 homes without power in France as flights and train services were cancelled and coastal areas put on flood alert.

Britain issued nearly a dozen severe flood warnings, meaning there was a risk of severe flooding and danger to life, and urged thousands of people to evacuate their homes in several seaside communities.

The storm, officially named Egon, also battered Belgium and Germany, where the key international hub of Frankfurt airport cancelled 120 flights, according to German media.

Eurostar cancelled two trains between London and Paris, while 180 passengers were forced to spend a chilly night on a high-speed Thalys train from Brussels to the French capital that finally arrived 10 hours late.

“We stopped on the tracks at around 9pm,” said Eduardo Soteras, a passenger on the train.

“At first we had electricity, but then it cut. We found ourselves in the dark without heating.”

In France, a woman was killed by a falling tree in her garden in a village near the Mediterranean resort of Nice, while another woman in Albania was found dead on Thursday outside her home in the southern town of Saranda.

“She died in front of her children. Her husband immediately tried to help by cutting the tree but it was too late,” a French police official said of the death there.

The rose window of a famous Gothic cathedral in Soissons in northern France was also badly damaged.

Winds of up to 146 km an hour hit France’s Channel port of Dieppe overnight, while parts of Germany were bracing for up to 30 centimetres of snow on Friday, according to German weather officials.

Since the end of last week, a winter cold snap across Europe has killed more than 60 people, with homeless people and migrants stranded in countries like Greece and Serbia most at risk.

“Severe winter weather struck southeastern Europe, with extreme cold and snow in Italy, the Balkans and Turkey. This caused many accidents on roads, school closures, cancelled flights and hardship for the homeless and refugees,” the UN weather agency said.

The World Meteorological Organization said in a statement that the high-pressure weather system was “moving slowly eastwards over Europe”.

Flood warnings were put in place for much of England’s east coast, while in the Netherlands pumps were used to lower water levels in Amsterdam and surrounding areas, according to Dutch news agency ANP.

Thousands of residents in Skegness in eastern England were urged to leave their homes or move to upper floors, while further south villagers in Jaywick were also warned to evacuate ahead of high tide. Temporary shelters were set up for local residents, but some appeared reluctant to leave.

Winter storm batters Europe was posted in World of TheNews International - https://www.thenews.com.pk on January 14, 2017 and was last updated on January 14, 2017. This news story is related to Print/178962-Winter-storm-batters-Europe/ - breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne. Permanent link to the news story "Winter storm batters Europe" is https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/178962-Winter-storm-batters-Europe. </s> Winter storm Eleanor reached Europe on Wednesday, bringing heavy winds and flooding and leaving at least three people dead.

The storm battered France, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands on Wednesday, after hitting the U.K., where thousands of homes are still without power and winds reached 100 miles per hour, according to the BBC.

A skier in the French Alps died after being hit by a falling tree, the New York reported. Two people died on the northern coast of Spain after being swept away by a wave, according to the BBC. And several people were injured after winds blew a train off its tracks in Switzerland.

About 200,000 households in France lost electricity as a result of the storm, the Associated Press reported, while strong winds caused flight delays at major airports in Paris and Amsterdam. </s> PARIS: Winter storm Eleanor swept across Europe, bringing death, damage and disruption, snarling transport networks and cutting power to tens of thousands of people.

Two people died on Spain’s northern Basque coast, the couple swept away by a huge wave, officials said, and another person had to be rescued after attempting to save them.

In France, a 21-year-old skier was killed by a falling tree at Morillon in the Alps where dangerous conditions forced the closure of several resorts.

More than a dozen others were injured by the storm across France, four seriously, civil defence spokesman Michael Bernier told AFP as the country was lashed by what meteorologists termed the strongest winds in eight years.

On the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, where gusts of up to 140 kilometres per hour (85 miles per hour) were recorded, winds fanned the flames of forest and scrub fires started by downed power lines, leaving three people injured.

At Lenk in central Switzerland, eight people were hurt when a violent gust of wind overturned a railway carriage while one person was injured by a falling tree in the southern Dutch village of Heesch.

Heavy winds forced authorities to close the airports in Strasbourg and Basel-Mulhouse on France´s border with Germany and Switzerland before they were reopened shortly after midday.

At Paris´s Charles de Gaulle airport, most departures were delayed Wednesday morning and a handful of flights had to be rerouted before the winds eased.

The weather wreaked havoc with train services and motorway access in several French regions, the result of fallen trees, electrical lines and other debris.

About 225,000 homes across France were without electricity, while “particularly intense” flooding was expected on the Atlantic coasts.

The Eiffel Tower had to turn away tourists in the morning because of the gusts before reopening later.

Eleanor barrelled into continental Europe after whipping across England and Ireland, with the Thames Barrier, one of the largest movable flood barriers in the world, closed as a precautionary measure to protect London from swelling tides.

“We have seen some heavy showers push through across the south of the UK along with hail, loud thunder and lightning,” said meteorologist Becky Mitchell.

Gusts of 160 kph were recorded at Great Dun Fell in Westmorland, northwest England, while overturned vehicles and trees caused closures of major motorways.

In Ireland, power supply company ESB said electricity had been restored to 123,000 customers, while 27,000 remained without power.

Streets around the docks in Galway on the west coast were flooded after high tides breached the sea defences, prompting the deployment of about two dozen troops to support flood defence efforts.

Belgium and parts of Spain were also put on “orange” alert, the third of four warning levels, with officials urging people to exercise caution when venturing out.

In the Netherlands, more than 250 flights were cancelled at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, a key European hub, as weather alerts were issued for several regions.

Dutch authorities for the first time closed all of the five storm surge barriers on the country´s North Sea coast, the transport ministry said.

Flights were also disrupted at Frankfurt´s airport in Germany, where the storm has been baptised Burglind, and at Zurich airport, as Swiss officials urged hikers to avoid forest walks.

RTS television reported that about 14,000 homes were without power in several Swiss cantons.

Most ski resorts in the Swiss and northern French Alps, where gusts reached 250 kph at Les Arcs resort.

“You´re better off staying in front of the fire today,” said David Ponson, a ski official in Savoie.

Eleanor is the fourth major storm to hit Europe since December. </s> Waves crash over the stone jetty wall in Aberystwyth in west Wales as Storm Eleanor lashed Britain with violent storm-force winds of up to 100mph, leaving thousands of homes without power and hitting transport links Wednesday Jan. 3, 2018. | AP

PARIS: Winter storm Eleanor swept into France, Belgium and the Netherlands on Wednesday after tearing through England and Northern Ireland, cutting power to tens of thousands of people and forcing airports and train services to halt operations.

A skiier was killed by a falling tree at Morillon in the French Alps while 15 others have been injured by the storm across the country, four of them seriously, civil defence spokesman Michael Bernier told AFP.

Another person was hurt by a falling tree in the southern Dutch village of Heesch.

Heavy winds led the airports in Strasbourg and Basel-Mulhouse on France's border with Germany and Switzerland to close before they were reopened shortly after midday.

At Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport, 60 percent of departures were delayed Wednesday morning, as were a third of arrivals, while a handful of flights had to be rerouted before the winds eased back a bit.

The winds were also wreaking havoc with train services in several French regions.

About 200,000 homes across northern France were without electricity, while "particularly intense" flooding was expected on the Atlantic coasts.

The Eiffel Tower, which attracts six million visitors a year, was closed until at least Wednesday afternoon, while worries about falling tree branches prompted Paris officials to close all city parks for the day.

'Woken people up'

 Eleanor barrelled into continental Europe after whipping across England, Northern Ireland and Ireland, with the Thames Barrier, one of the largest movable flood barriers in the world, closed as a precautionary measure to protect London from swelling tides.

"We have seen some heavy showers push through across the south of the UK along with hail, loud thunder and lightning, which has woken people up," said meteorologist Becky Mitchell.

Gusts of 160 kilometres per hour (100 mph) were recorded at Great Dun Fell in Westmorland, northwest England, while overturned vehicles and trees caused closures of major motorways.

In Ireland, power supply company ESB said electricity had been restored to 123,000 customers, while 27,000 remained without power.

Streets around the docks in Galway on the west coast were flooded after high tides breached the sea defences, prompting the deployment of about two dozen troops to support flood defence efforts.

Flooding and flight delays

 Belgium and parts of Spain were also put on "orange" alert, the third of four warning levels, with officials urging people to exercise caution when venturing out.

Although the winds eased toward midday, rescue workers in Brussels were kept busy with about 70 calls across the city, mainly after trees were knocked down, and several parks were closed.

In the Netherlands, 252 of about 1,200 flights were cancelled at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, a key European hub, as weather alerts were issued for several regions.

Several main roads and train lines were also closed as officials rushed to prepare flooding defences.

Flights were also disrupted at Frankfurt's airport in Germany, where the storm has been baptised Burglind, and at Zurich airport, as Swiss officials urged hikers to avoid forest walks.

RTS television reported that about 14,000 homes were without power in several Swiss cantons.

Eleanor is the fourth major storm to hit Europe since December.

The storm is now heading for the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, where meteorologists are warning of violent gusts that could reach 200 kilometres per hour.

Austria is also in its path, where the avalanche risk was expected to be raised to four on a scale of five in several areas Wednesday afternoon.
A winter storm hits Europe with 330,000 people in France losing power, thousands of people in Great Britain evacuated and travel disrupted.