World
Storm Eunice: Nine killed as fierce winds batter UK, northern Europe
The major storm ripped sections off the roof of London's O2 Arena.
London: At least nine people have been killed after an Atlantic storm— second major storm in a week— battered UK and northern Europe, knocking out power for tens of thousands as high winds felled trees, cancelled flights and train services.
The gusty winds named Storm Eunice, hit western England and made landfall in Cornwall on Friday where waves lashed the coast, sending plumes of spray dozens of metres into the air.
The UK weather service said a gust provisionally measured at 122 mph, thought to be the strongest ever in England, was recorded on the Isle of Wight as Storm Eunice swept across the country’s south.
The storm is also battering other northern European countries, including Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands.
In Britain, at least three people died, including a man killed when a car hit a tree, another man whose windshield was struck by debris and a woman in her 30s who died in London when a tree fell on a car.
In the Netherlands, three people were killed by falling trees in and around Amsterdam, and a fourth died in the northern province of Groningen after driving his car into a fallen tree.
Moreover, in the Belgian town of Tournai, high winds sent a crane crashing onto the roof of a hospital.
Eunice is the second named storm to hit Europe this week, with the first storm killing at least five in Germany and Poland.
Eunice disrupted travel across southern England and Wales, with many train services interrupted and numerous flights and ferry services cancelled.
Planes were buffeted so strongly by gusts at some British airports that pilots were forced to abandon landings.
In the meantime, Britain's security minister Damian Hinds said troops were on standby to deal with the consequences of the weather.