High winds buffet Europe’s northwestern flank

Waves crash over Newhaven Lighthouse on the south coast of England on Monday, as the latest storm hits the country. — AFP

Heavy winds buffeted Europe’s northwestern flank on Monday, forcing road closures and disrupting rail and ferry services in southern England and prompting high wave alerts in France’s Brittany region. In Germany, meanwhile, winter storms forced carnival organisers to cancel “Rose Monday” parades in the western cities of Duesseldorf and Mainz while scaling back festivities in Cologne, the traditional home of the annual fancy dress celebrations.

Gales and heavy rain with wind speeds of nearly 155 km per hour battered southern England and Wales, with flood war-nings issued in more than 50 areas.

The environment agency told residents that “immediate action” was required as forecasters predicted up to 40 millimetres of rain in some areas during Monday. “We are looking to see gusts of 60-70 mph quite widely, hitting the southwest, Devon and Cornwall and moving across southern central parts towards London through the day. It is going to be picking up towards 70 miles per hour around lunchtime in London,” said Emma Sill-itoe, a weather forecaster. “We have seen 96 mph at the Needles off the Isle of Wight and gusts to 80 mph are likely, especially along northern coasts of Devon and Cornwall and along the Bristol Channel as well,” she said.

Roads agency Highways England issued a severe weather alert for high-sided vehicles and motorbikes due to the high winds. Almost 5,000 homes in southwestern and central England as well as Wales have been left without power.