The UK and western France are bracing for Storm Ciaran, which is set to drench the region and bring winds powerful enough to blow the roofs off buildings and tear down power lines.
Transport networks in both countries warned of travel delays, and some canceled service in anticipation of the storm. Energy providers also readied their adverse-weather plans.
“Violent winds, heavy rain and strong waves” are expected in the northwest starting Wednesday evening, Meteo France said in its forecast. The UK’s Met Office has multiple warnings in place, including an amber alert for high wind in southern England on Thursday, when the most severe weather is set to hit.
Storm Ciaran is the latest example of extreme weather that is becoming increasingly frequent as the planet becomes warmer, disrupting lives and costing billions in economic damage. This summer in the Northern Hemisphere was the hottest on record.
“The rainfall associated with these types of storms is more severe due to climate change,” said Friederike Otto, a senior lecturer at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College London. “The storm surges are higher and thus more damaging due to the higher sea levels,” she said via email.
Travel Delays
France’s national railway, SNCF, is canceling some lines including regional service in the western and northern parts of the country, as Storm Ciaran approaches. Fast TGV trains between Paris and Le Mans and Nantes are also being scrapped.
Transport Minister Clement Beaune said trucks would be banned from roads in Brittany on Thursday due to strong winds. The Eurostar is planning to run a normal timetable between Paris and London, although it warned there could be delays due to speed restrictions.
In the UK, Southeastern railway, which serves the region near London, warned of “severe disruption” to its services on Thursday and urged passengers not to travel on mainline routes before 9 a.m. Great Western Railway, which provides transport across much of southwest England, warned of possible cancellations on short-notice.
In London, the storm is forecast to intensify overnight, with strong wind gusts expected into Thursday.
The Met Office’s amber warning — which spans much of the region from Cornwall in the west to the mouth of the River Thames in the east — said Ciaran may damage infrastructure and produce flying debris that “could result in a danger to life.”
Wind gusts may reach 85 miles (137 kilometers) per hour in the most exposed locations, with damage to infrastructure possible, it said. Britain’s National Grid Plc said it has “a range of measures in place to ensure that we’re ready to deal with potential power cuts.”
Wind Power
Such weather events are also having an impact on the energy landscape in Europe, as the region finds its footing after last year’s gas-supply crisis in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
UK wind-power generation surged Wednesday, covering more than half of the country’s electricity output — and reducing the need to burn fossil fuels — grid data showed. Wind generation in France and the Netherlands is also set to soar over the coming days.
The port of Milford Haven in Wales, home to two liquefied natural gas terminals, said by email that it is continuously monitoring conditions and has “robust plans in place for dealing with adverse weather.” In past winters, the port has briefly suspended unloading of vessels due to high winds.
--With assistance from Olivia Rudgard.
(Updates with expected travel disruptions from second paragraph.)
Author: Anna Shiryaevskaya, Elena Mazneva and Tara Patel
