Europe in blackout: 150,000 homes lose power as twin storms batter the north

One man died in Scotland after storms Boelo and Austen swept through northern Europe within 24 hours, leaving more than 150,000 homes without electricity. The weather system also disrupted air travel and telecommunications networks across the region.

Authorities reported that 82,000 households in the United Kingdom, 59,000 in France, and 10,000 in Germany remained in the dark on Sunday. In southwestern Scotland, a falling tree killed a 60-year-old man. Two women in central Scotland were injured by another tree, according to the Press Association.

Winds reached 135 km/h in the Argyll and Bute area of western Scotland. The gusts downed trees and power lines, blocking roads and rail tracks in Scotland and northern England. In Brighton, England, the storm Austen destroyed an unused pier on Friday.

The UK Met Office warned that Boelo posed a danger to life from flying debris and crashing waves. Officials advised residents to stay indoors as much as possible. Flood risks were identified in parts of Scotland and England.

In France, energy provider Enedis stated that 288,000 homes lost power at the peak of Austen on Saturday. By midday Sunday, 59,000 customers in Normandy and Brittany remained without service. A marathon runner in northern France sustained minor injuries when a tree fell during a race.

German police reported that two people were seriously injured on Saturday when scaffolding collapsed at a market in Nastatten due to high winds. In Freiburg-Breisgau, the main hospital restricted services to emergency cases on Sunday after the blackout interrupted the mobile phone network.

Falling trees injured four people in Brussels, Belgium, on Saturday. In the Netherlands, three crew members on a freight ship were injured north of Schiermonnikoog. Two were transported to a mainland hospital by helicopter. Hundreds of flights were cancelled or diverted, including at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport.