16 killed as Storm Eunice wrecks havoc across Western Europe

Sixteen people have been confirmed killed by falling trees and flying debris, caused by fierce winds from Storm Eunice that has been raging through Western Europe in the past few days

The fierce winds has been prevalent in Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Poland, according to reports by UK Emergency Services on Sunday

Train operators in Britain have been urging people not to travel after most of the network was shut down when the Storm Eunice brought the strongest wind gust ever recorded in England at 196km/h (122mph).

“The train network in the Netherlands was paralysed, with no Eurostar and Thalys international services running from Britain and France after damage to overhead power lines,” the statement said.

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“France and Ireland were also grappling with rail disruption and power cuts, and Germany’s rail operator Deutsche Bahn said more than 1,000km [620 miles] of track had suffered damage.

“Poland had 1.2 million customers without electricity on Saturday afternoon after the country’s northwest took a battering.

“In the UK, 226,000 homes and businesses remained without power after 1.2 million others were reconnected.

“About 30 people in northern France were injured in storm-related road accidents, and in the Netherlands, dozens of people have to be evacuated from their homes because of fears that a church’s clock tower might collapse,” it added.

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