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Severe winter-gale in Germany (and Europe?)

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Penthesilea:
It is downright scary outside. :o

The sky is boneless blue, sun is shining and it's spring-like balmy. Would be a beautiful spring day, if it weren't for the gale-force winds!

This is the severve waether alert map for my federal country:



I live in the lower of the two violet regions. In this map, violet is the highest alert level.

Husband and two of the kids were walking the dog earlier today. It was already stormy then, but not as severe as it is now. I wouldn't let them out now. On the radio there are announcements of power losses and traffic difficulties (overthrown trees, etc.)
Radio is also airing warnings to not go outside, if you can avoid it: don't drive with the car, don't go for walks and by all means stay clear of forests and driving along streets leading through forests.

My oldest daughter is away for the weekend with a youth group and should return today. She called an hour ago, saying they can't leave their accomodation because the bus was banned from driving in this storm. Too risky.
I have no idea when and how she will come back. Hubby said if everything else fails, he'd drive there and pick her and some friends up. But I rather have the whole group stay there until tomorrow if it doesn't get better.

I didn't even dare to smoke outside (in my garden). I sprinted into the baking house. While sitting there, I could hear falling tiles from roofs in the neighbourhood, maybe even from one of our own buildings. I didn't go to look.


I know the storm came from southern Europe, has been over Spain and Portugal. How about my fellow Euro-Brokies? Any of you affected by it?

Front-Ranger:
OMG...stay under cover, you Penthesileans!!
 :o

Penthesilea:

--- Quote from: Front-Ranger on February 28, 2010, 09:52:21 am ---OMG...stay under cover, you Penthesileans!!
 :o


--- End quote ---

We will!

My daughter just called, they're staying another night at the youth hostel and will return tomorrow. Good.
I'm glad they don't take any risk. They're safe where they are now.
She will miss school tomorrow, but I don't care.


Meanwhile, we found a tile from our roof on the sidewalk, but didn't see where it comes from. Also found a small piece of wood, which must be from our house (I can tell by the paint on it), and we have no idea where it is from.

At my neighbours barn there is a hole in the roof by now. Approx 10 tiles went down and left a gaping hole. :o

I've heard police/fire department sirens a few times today.

Jens (my husband) just said all roofers will celebrate today and all insurance agents will book a spontaneous trip for the next week :laugh:.

Seriously: I hope no one gets hurt. This IS scary.

Penthesilea:
Yesterday the storm was in France/Portugal/Spain :(.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8540762.stm


Deadly storms lash Spain, Portugal and France



The French village of Ver-sur-Mer feels the force of the gales


At least 16 people have been killed in storms that have lashed parts of Spain, Portugal and France.

Winds of up to 140km/h (87mph) caused chaos as they moved from Portugal up through the Bay of Biscay.

Twelve people have died in France and three in Spain as well as a 10-year-old boy in Portugal.

The storm is expected to track north-eastwards during the course of Sunday, reaching Denmark by the evening, French meteorological authorities said.

Falling trees

The storm system, which has been called Xynthia, has put five of the 95 French departments on red alert - only the second such warning since the new emergency system was introduced in 2001.

Hundreds of thousands of homes in west and south-west France have lost electricity while a number of French coastal villages were flooded.

Some people had taken to their roofs in the Vendee region, one policeman told the Agence France-Presse news agency by telephone.

Police helicopters were in action attempting to locate and rescue people marooned on their roofs.

Most of the French fatalities were caused by drowning, but some were killed by flying debris, according to AFP.

A tree claimed the lives of two Spanish men when their vehicle was hit and a Spanish woman aged 82 was killed by a falling wall in Galicia.

The Portuguese boy was also killed by a tree.

Rail services were severely affected in northern Spain, and a major road crossing between France and Spain was closed to heavy goods vehicles.

Air France said that 70 of its flights were cancelled from Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.

According to a report on Europe 1 radio, wind speeds hit 175km/h at the top of the Eiffel Tower in the French capital.

Spain's Canary Islands, particularly La Palma, Gran Canaria and Tenerife, were hit by the storm, although there was no great damage.


The above ongoings are from yesterday. What I read from today in south-west Germany:

- All railway traffic in my and two neighbouring federal countries has been cancelled. I have never heard of this before. :o

- Two major Autobahnen (interstates) also have been closed completely. (the Germans, you know, those car-crazy freaks with no speed-limit, are closing their sacred Autobahn? - Now it must be serious.)

- Major delays at airports. But seemingly they're still open. There is no big airport in my federal country, so I guess the next international airports have somewhat less stormy conditions.

- One man in Baden-Württemberg was killed when a tree hit his car

- A woman in Landau (next town for me) was seriously hurt when she tried to close a big, iron gate. The gate came loose and fell upon her.

Sophia:
Omgd, hope its getting better soon!!  :-*

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