Storms claim lives in Northern Europe

At least 12 people were killed in Belgium, Britain, Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands during the second major storm to hit European nations in days. Storm Dudley left thousands without power and only a brief reprieve before Storm Eunice descended. Some wind gusts clocked in at 122 mph, the strongest recorded in the United Kingdom. Wave surges shut down the English Channel port of Dover, closed bridges across England and Wales, and halted most train service in London. A livestream of Heathrow airport went viral as viewers anxiously watched planes wobble while attempting landings. At least 200,000 homes were without power across the U.K. as of Friday afternoon.

Was Eunice a hurricane? No, because hurricanes by definition form in the tropics. Eunice formed in the North Atlantic amid very strong jet stream winds, Britain’s iNews reported. At least three people died in Britain from falling trees and whirling debris. Wind gusts pushed an elderly man in Ypres, Belgium, into the canal. Firefighters evacuated 1,000 people in a London area when sections of the O2 arena began ripping apart and crashing into neighborhoods.