Storm Ciaran: At least seven people killed across Europe amid torrential rains and record winds

At least seven people have been killed after Storm Ciaran smashed into western Europe on Thursday (Nov 2) bringing record winds of 200 kilometres per hour, floods, and blackouts which have prompted the closure of schools, airports and train services. Parts of Europe including countries like Britain, France, the Netherlands, Germany, and Spain are among those affected.

Deaths reported across Europe

In the Belgian city of Ghent, a five-year-old child was killed due to falling branches while playing outside.

In the same city, a falling branch also claimed the life of a 64-year-old German woman walking in the city’s Citadel Park with her husband; her daughter was reported to be seriously injured. According to the prosecutor’s office, the woman was visiting the country.

Meanwhile, in France, a truck driver was killed when a tree fell on him, and local officials also reported a second death in the city of Le Havre.

A report by Reuters citing local emergency services and police said falling trees also caused the death of a woman in the Spanish capital Madrid and another in the south of the Netherlands.

‘Record winds’ and disruptions across Europe

“The wind gusts are exceptional in Brittany and many absolute records have been broken,” said Meteo-France, the French national weather service, in a post on X.

The gusts as high as 207 km/h were recorded at Pointe du Raz while the port city of Brest saw winds hit 156 km/h, said the local officials.

Authorities in Finistere and Brittany have urged people to stay at home and avoid winds. Around 1.2 million French homes lost electricity overnight after the storm lashed the northwest coast, and most remained without power on Thursday.

In France, in addition to the death of the truck driver, 15 people, including seven firefighters, had been injured, said Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, adding that one person was seriously injured in the northern French town of Roubaix.

Around 1,300 people were evacuated from the Finistere city of Brest after a crane fell and relocated to campsites or shelters.

Meanwhile, hundreds of schools across southern England were closed after large waves powered by winds of 135 km/hour crashed along the coastline. The Channel Islands were among the worst-hit areas by the storm.

According to British media reports, windows had been blown in and one roof ripped off a house in Jersey forcing people to evacuate to hotels overnight.

More than 200 flights were cancelled at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. International trains from the Dutch capital to Paris were also cancelled.

According to airport operator AENA, 42 flights in Spain were cancelled, reported Reuters.

Spain’s state-run weather agency AEMET issued red alerts on Thursday for the northern regions of Galicia and Cantabria, where waves as high as nine metres were expected.

Air, rail and ferry services saw cancellations and long delays across several European countries, according to AFP.

(With inputs from agencies)