Two storms slam northern Europe, cut power to 150,000 homes

Storm Boelo and Storm Austen battered northern Europe within a 24-hour period, leaving a trail of destruction. A 60-year-old man died in southwestern Scotland after a tree fell on him. In central Scotland, two women were injured by a falling tree. Winds reached 135 km/h in the Argyll and Bute region.

The storms disrupted transportation and daily life. Trees and power cables blocked roads and rail lines across Scotland and northern England. In Brighton, on England’s southern coast, Austen blew away an unused pier. The Met Office, the UK’s national forecaster, warned of a danger to life from flying debris and crashing waves.

Power outages were widespread across the continent. In the UK, 82,000 homes were affected. In France, Enedis reported that 288,000 homes lost power at the storm's peak, with 59,000 still without electricity on Sunday. In Germany, 10,000 homes in and around Freiburg-Breisgau were affected, and the town's main hospital had to limit services to emergency cases.

The storms also impacted the Netherlands and Belgium. In Brussels, four people were injured by falling trees. In the Netherlands, three crew members on a freight ship north of the island of Schiermonnikoog were injured, with two being winched off and taken to a hospital. Hundreds of flights were cancelled or diverted, including at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport.

Authorities have warned of continued flood risks in Scotland and England. German police reported two people were seriously hurt by scaffolding blown away by Austen at a market in Nastatten. Experts have warned that such extreme weather events are becoming more frequent due to climate change.