Storms batter northern Europe, causing power outages and travel chaos

Storms Bawilo and Austin caused widespread disruption across northern Europe on Sunday, leaving more than 150,000 homes without electricity, halting transport and communications, and forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights.

Authorities reported that over 82,000 homes in the UK, around 60,000 in France, and at least 10,000 in Germany were affected by power outages. Wind speeds exceeded 135 kilometers per hour in western Scotland, toppling trees and power lines and leading to road and rail closures.

In France, about 59,000 homes remained without power by midday Sunday, with 2,600 technicians involved in repair efforts. In Freiburg, Germany, the outage disrupted the mobile phone network and forced the main hospital to accept only emergency cases.

The storms also impacted the Netherlands and Belgium, where four people were injured by falling trees in Brussels. Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport canceled dozens of flights, while air travel in the UK and Scotland was also affected, and ferry services between Belfast and northwest England were suspended.

The UK Met Office warned of the dangers posed by strong winds, high waves, and flying debris, urging residents to stay indoors whenever possible.