The formidable Storm Babet has left a trail of destruction across northern Europe, causing extensive flooding, power outages, and claiming lives in its wake. As it continues its rampage, the storm has battered Denmark, Norway, the UK, and beyond.
In the UK, three fatalities were reported in Scotland and England, with families trapped in flooded homes on Friday. The storm inflicted considerable damage as it swept through Britain and Ireland, prompting widespread power cuts and posing serious threats to residents.
Tragedy also struck in northern Germany, where a woman lost her life on Friday evening when a falling tree struck her car, according to the fire department.
As Storm Babet reached Scandinavia, southern Denmark faced a sharp rise in water levels, causing extensive flooding in towns. The first floors of homes were submerged, leaving residents without power for several hours. Water levels in some Danish towns surpassed their typical heights by over two meters, a level seen only once in a century, according to Denmark’s DMI weather service.
“We are having to clear large quantities of water from the towns, especially in southern Jutland,” remarked Martin Vendelbo of the Danish Emergency Management Agency.
Photographs from Danish media depicted fishing boats stranded or perilously close to sinking in the port town of Rodvig.
In southern Norway, the impact of the storm was felt with up to 20,000 residents left without power early Saturday. Strong winds wreaked havoc, causing roofs to be torn off buildings and trees, along with power masts, to be felled. Despite the challenging situation, Norwegian news agency NTB reported that conditions were gradually improving in the affected areas.
