Crews cleared fallen trees and worked to restore power to about 400,000 people in Britain as Western Europe cleaned up Saturday after one of the most damaging storms for years.
At least nine people were killed, many by falling trees, in Ireland, Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands. Named Storm Eunice by the British and Irish weather services, and Zeynep in Germany, Friday's storm was the second to hit the region in a week.
Winds toppled the spire of a church in Wells, southwest England, ripped off parts of the domed roof of London’s O2 Arena and left a trail of felled trees and damaged buildings across several countries, The Associated Press reported.
A gust of 122 miles an hour (196 kilometers an hour) was provisionally recorded Friday on the Isle of Wight. If confirmed, it would be the highest ever recorded in England.
The UK’s National Rail association said “routes across most of Great Britain” remained affected on Saturday morning, with disruption set to continue throughout the day.
The Met Office weather service said stronger winds would hit the southern coasts of England and Wales on Saturday, with the potential for further damage, while snow and ice could cause disruption further north.
