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Storm Eunice

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For the 1948 tropical storm sometimes known as Eunice, see Typhoon Dolores–Eunice.

Storm Eunice
Eunice on February 17th
TypeEuropean windstorm
Formed14 February 2022
(Exited to sea on 18th of February, 12.30pm GMT, second landfall 12pm CET)
Highest gust122mph, recorded in Isle of Wight as of 3:30PM GMT
Fatalities4, 7 injured as of 17:15PM GMT
Power outages450,000 at peak (in UK)[1]
Areas affectedUK, Ireland, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Poland

Storm Eunice, or Storm Zeynep in Germany, is an extratropical cyclone that is part of the 2021–22 European windstorm season. Storm Eunice was named by the Met Office on 14 February.[2] On 16 February, an amber weather warning was issued for the whole of Southern England, Wales and the Midlands. A red weather warning was subsequently issued on 17 February for parts of South West England and South Wales, meaning a danger to life from flying debris,[3] with a second warning issued on 18 February for London, the South East and East of England.[4] Eunice broke the record for the fastest wind gust recorded in England with 122 miles per hour (196 km/h) at The Needles, Isle of Wight, making this storm the strongest ever to hit England.[5] So far, Eunice caused 4 fatalities in Europe.

In France, an orange warning was issued in 5 departments, with 140km/h winds anticipated in the northernmost points of France, however the peak was 161 km/h. Nord, Pas-de-Calais, Somme, Seine-Maritime, and Manche all received orange weather warnings as a result of Storm Eunice, and yellow weather warnings were issued for most of Northern France. Police in Wimereux were reported to have been patrolling the seafront ensuring nobody walked on it. The SNCF in Hauts-de-France currently reports "no significant damage" in France as a result of Eunice, but this could change as damage is uncovered.[6]

Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, the meterological institute KNMI issued rare code red warnings as a result of Storm Eunice for Zeeland, South Holland, North Holland, Friesland and IJssel regions. A code orange was in effect for the rest of the country, excluding Limburg facing only a code yellow warning. They reported that they expected gusts between 100 and 120 km/hr for inland areas. This is the fourth time a code red has been issued since 2021 in the Netherlands, with the last in July 2021.[7]

The cyclone is expected to bring wind gusts of up to 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph) inland and 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph) around coastal areas in parts of Wales and South West England.[8] People living on the north coasts of Cornwall, Devon and Somerset have been warned to expect flooding.[9]

Meteorological history

The Met Office named Storm Eunice alongside Storm Dudley on 14 February.[10] Meanwhile, the Free University of Berlin (FUB) named the same system as "Zeynep" on 16 February.[11] Met Eireann Tweeted that the rapid pressure drop during cyclogenesis met the criteria for explosive cyclogenesis.[12]

Impacts

Belgium

A Belgian First Division A match between Gent and Seraing scheduled for 18 February was postponed, after strong winds damaged part of the roof of the Ghelamco Arena.[13]

Denmark

The Danish Meteorological Institute decided to give the storm the name Nora, believing the name Eunice would be difficult to pronounce in Nordic languages.[14] Nora did not cause significant damage to Denmark, and most models suggest Nora hit it with wind speeds of 60~70km/hr. They also suggest Nora hit Southern Jutland the most, particularly near the German border as this was where Nora was closest to Denmark from Germany.[15]

Germany

In Germany, Eunice was named Zeynep by the FUB, ahead of the system's impact storm tide warnings were issued near the Elbe river in preparation for 90mph winds, higher than Ylenia which impacted the area only days prior. It made landfall at about midday local time, close to the mouth of the Elbe. DWD anticipates it will be pushed by high speed wind gusts through Brandenburg, and will calm somewhat, but remain quite strong into Saturday.[16]

Ireland

On 16 February, Met Éireann issued a Status Orange wind warning for seven counties for 18 February, saying the storm would bring severe and potentially damaging winds, gusting up to 130km/h.[17] The next day, further weather warnings for rain, wind and snow were issued by Met Éireann, with a Status Red wind warning for Cork, Kerry, Clare and Waterford, while all schools, colleges, universities and childcare facilities were advised to close in counties with Status Red wind and Orange snow warnings to close.[18][19] A number of flights, ferry crossings, bus and train services were cancelled throughout the country.[20]

A gust of wind with a speed of 172 kilometres per hour (107 mph) was recorded offshore at Fastnet Lighthouse,[21] while a gust of wind with a speed of 137 kilometres per hour (85 mph) was recorded at Roches Point, Cork Harbour.[22] Up to 80,000 homes and businesses were without power nationally.[23] In County Wexford, a 59-year-old council worker was killed by a falling tree while out clearing debris.[24]

The Netherlands

Dutch railway operator NS announced on 17 February that it was cancelling all domestic and international train traffic on 18 February at 14:00 CET (13:00 UTC).[25] A red weather alarm was issued by the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute for five provinces, including North Holland, South Holland, Zeeland, Flevoland and Fryslân. All other provinces, except Limburg, received an orange weather alarm.[26] Many universities and schools closed their doors in the afternoon of 18 February. In addition, national retailers, courts and town halls stopped services across the country in the afternoon.[27]

The Eredivisie match between Fortuna Sittard and Sparta Rotterdam scheduled for the evening of 18 February was postponed as the safety of players, staff and supporters could not be guaranteed due to the extreme weather conditions in the area.[28]

In the Netherlands, some trees were taken down by the strong winds causing fatalities. A person was severely injured in Amsterdam and later on died in the hospital. A second person died in Diemen when a tree fell over a car killing the occupant.[29] A third, a cyclist, was killed by a tree in Zuid-Holland. An elderly lady in Noord-Brabant was hit by a fallen tree and is currently injured in hospital with several broken bones.[30]

The roof of the ADO Den Haag Stadium was damaged.[5][31]

In the early evening of 18 February, several houses in The Hague were evacuated following reported instability in one of the two towers of the Elandkerk in the town's Zeeheldenkwartier neighbourhood.[32] Three people have died in the Netherlands due to the storm.[33]

United Kingdom

Damage caused to the tent of The O2 Arena

Weather warnings, including red,[34] were issued spanning most of the UK on the 17 February.[35] Schools were widely closed,[36][37] along with delivery services,[38] sea crossings,[39][40] and several bridges.[40] The prime minister, Boris Johnson, said that the army had been placed on "standby".[40]

A gust of wind with a speed of 122 miles per hour (196 km/h) was recorded at The Needles, the fastest gust ever recorded in England.[41]

In London, large sections of The O2 Arena's fabric roof were torn away.[42][43] The storm blew the top of the spire off Church of St Thomas, Wells, Somerset.[44] One of the three towers at Grain Power Station collapsed.[5][45] The power station was taken offline for safety. [46] The bandstand at the De La Warr Pavilion on Bexhill-on-Sea seafront in East Sussex was destroyed.[47]

Eunice has so far caused six casualties in the UK, two in London. One in Waterloo was injured by falling debris, another in Streatham was injured by a tree struck down by Eunice.[48] Three people were taken to hospital after a car hit a tree in Bradford-upon-Avon. One person is in hospital with serious injuries after being hit by debris from a roof in Henley-on-Thames.[49]

An EFL Championship game between AFC Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest scheduled for the evening of 18 February was postponed because of damage to Bournemouth’s ground, the Vitality Stadium, caused by Storm Eunice.[50]

Trains were cancelled and delayed across the UK (including all in Wales).[51] Over 400 flights were also cancelled.[5] Landings at Heathrow Airport of planes battling high winds of the storm were live-streamed on the YouTube channel Big Jet TV, leading to global media coverage.[52][53][54]

See also

References

  1. ^ "UK weather live - Storm Eunice updates: Major incidents declared and new warnings issued as man killed amid record 122mph winds, power station tower collapses and lorries blown over". Sky News. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  2. ^ "The Met Office names two storms". Met Office. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  3. ^ "Storm Eunice: Rare red weather warning issued for parts of the UK". BBC News. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Storm Eunice: Millions across UK told to stay home as severe winds hit". BBC News. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d Halliday, Josh; Morris, Steven; Rodrigues, Jason; Greenfield, Patrick (18 February 2022). "Storm Eunice live: winds of up to 122mph recorded as millions urged to stay indoors amid Met Office red weather warning". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  6. ^ France, Connexion. "Storm Eunice: five French departments on orange alert for high winds". www.connexionfrance.com. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  7. ^ "Code Red alert issued for coastal provinces as Storm Eunice approaches". NL Times. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  8. ^ "Rare amber warning for 'dangerous' winds in the Anglia region from Storm Eunice". ITV News. 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  9. ^ "Flood-risk areas told to prepare for Friday's Storm Eunice". BBC News. 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  10. ^ "Storms Dudley and Eunice to impact Ireland this week - Met Éireann - The Irish Meteorological Service". www.met.ie. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  11. ^ Deutscher Wetterdienst (16 February 2022). "Europe Weather Map on 2022-02-16 (forecast)" (in German). Free University of Berlin. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  12. ^ "Storm Eunice wreaks havoc, tearing roof off London arena and shaking up planes landing at Heathrow". Washington Post. 17/2/22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ "KAA Gent - Seraing afgelast: storm rukt deel van dak Ghelamco Arena los". sporza.be (in Dutch). 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  14. ^ "DMI vil ændre navn på storm - vejrvært helt uenig - TV 2". vejr.tv2.dk (in Danish). 15 February 2022.
  15. ^ Korosec, Author Marko (17 February 2022). "Severe Weather Forecast for Europe - STORM EUNICE on February 18th, 2022". Severe Weather Europe. Retrieved 18 February 2022. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  16. ^ Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "Germany braces for major storm Zeynep after Ylenia | DW | 18.02.2022". DW.COM. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  17. ^ "Storm Eunice: Status Orange wind warning issued for seven counties". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  18. ^ "Storm Eunice: Schools to be closed in nine counties, with four under Status Red warning". Irish Independent. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  19. ^ "Storm Eunice to be 'high-impact, multi-hazard' storm". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  20. ^ "Flights, ferries cancelled as Storm Eunice moves across Ireland". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  21. ^ McGreevy, Ronan; Clarke, Vivienne; Kelleher, Olivia; Lucey, Anne; Forsythe, David (18 February 2022). "Storm Eunice: Man dies in Wexford after being struck by falling tree". The Irish Times. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  22. ^ "Statement from the National Emergency Coordination Group on severe weather - 18 February 2022". Government of Ireland. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  23. ^ Neville, Steve; Hoare, Pádraig; Clarke, Vivienne (18 February 2022). "Storm Eunice: 80,000 without power with most extensive damage in West Cork and Kerry". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  24. ^ Riegel, Ralph; Moloney, Eoghan; Byrne, Padraig; Hyland, Paul; Donnelly, Katherine (18 February 2022). "Storm Eunice: Council worker dies after being struck by falling tree while clearing debris". Irish Independent. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  25. ^ "Storm Eunice: fewer trains today due to adjusted storm timetable | NS". Dutch Railways. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  26. ^ "Code rood: WEERALARM zeer zware windstoten". KNMI. Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  27. ^ Quekel, Sebastiaan. "LIVE | Nederland zet zich schrap: diensten en locaties dicht, post niet overal bezorgd". ad.nl. Algemeen Dagblad. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  28. ^ "LIVEBLOG: Blijf op de hoogte van de laatste ontwikkelingen". Fortuna Sittard (in Dutch). 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  29. ^ "Storm Eunice batters the Netherlands, two people are killed". DutchNews.nl. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  30. ^ "Storm Eunice batters the Netherlands, three people are killed". DutchNews.nl. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  31. ^ and, ) [@DANNYonPC] (18 February 2022). "Oh damn, the stadium of @ADODenHaag is letting loose" (Tweet). Retrieved 18 February 2022 – via Twitter. {{cite web}}: |first1= has numeric name (help); More than one of |author1= and |last1= specified (help) (incudes video)
  32. ^ "NL-alert: 'Blijf binnen' • Drie doden door storm in regio Amsterdam". nos.nl. Nederlandse Omroep Stichting. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  33. ^ https://www.at5.nl/artikelen/213682/liveblog-storm-eunice-drie-doden-en-enorme-schade
  34. ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-60403072
  35. ^ "Where weather warnings are in place for Storm Eunice as London its gets first ever red alert". inews.co.uk. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  36. ^ "Storm Eunice forces hundreds of schools to close - is your area affected?". Heart. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  37. ^ "School closures as Storm Eunice snow hits Scotland". BBC News. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  38. ^ "Storm Eunice prompts suspension of Uber Eats and Deliveroo service". Proactiveinvestors UK. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  39. ^ "Storm Eunice unleashes record-breaking 122mph gust as high winds wreak havoc nationwide". Sky News. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  40. ^ a b c "Storm Eunice: Record wind gust amid disruption". BBC News. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  41. ^ BBC South on Twitter [@bbcsouthnews] (18 February 2022). "The Met Office has confirmed the 122mph wind gust at the Needles is the highest ever recorded in England" (Tweet). Retrieved 18 February 2022 – via Twitter. {{cite web}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  42. ^ Halliday, Josh; Morris, Steven; Rodrigues, Jason; Greenfield, Patrick (18 February 2022). "Storm Eunice live: winds of up to 122mph as millions urged to stay inside after Met Office red weather warning". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  43. ^ Hubbard, Ben [@BJFHubbard] (18 February 2022). "Dome update - six panels shredded and counting !" (Tweet). Retrieved 18 February 2022 – via Twitter. (incudes video footage)
  44. ^ "Storm Eunice: Somerset church spire brought down by winds". BBC NEWS. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  45. ^ Beart, Cameron [@CllrCABeart] (18 February 2022). "The middle stack at Grain Power Station appears to have gone? Where there were three, there is now two! #StormEunice (Photo Credit: Katie Foord #Queenborough)" (Tweet). Retrieved 18 February 2022 – via Twitter. (includes photos)
  46. ^ "Power station tower knocked down by Storm Eunice". Kent Online. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  47. ^ "Storm Eunice: People hurt and buildings damaged as record winds batter UK". BBC News. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  48. ^ "Storm Eunice tracker: When will it hit my region and when will it end?". ITV News. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  49. ^ "Storm Eunice: People hurt and buildings damaged as record winds batter UK". BBC News. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  50. ^ Clapson, Sarah (18 February 2022). "Cherries say stadium 'damage' caused Forest postponement". NottinghamshireLive.
  51. ^ "Storm Eunice: All the trains that have been cancelled across UK". MSN. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  52. ^ https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/big-jet-tv-jerry-dyer-storm/index.html
  53. ^ https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/feb/18/livestreaming-of-planes-landing-during-storm-eunice-goes-viral-bigjettv
  54. ^ https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-60434909
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