(Copenhagen) Much of northern Europe was bracing for storms and strong winds from the east on Thursday, with authorities warning that flooding could cause major problems in Denmark’s inland waters, the sea Baltic and northern UK.
Danish broadcaster TV2 said the region was likely to see the worst flooding in 110 years, and the Danish Meteorological Institute warned that waves could reach four meters along east-facing coasts.
In the United Kingdom, the Met Office issued a rare red alert ― the highest level of weather alert ― for parts of Scotland, warning of “exceptional rainfall” on Thursday and Friday and the possibility of “danger to life” due to significant flooding. The last red alert in the UK was issued in 2020.
Authorities have advised Scots not to go near coastal areas.
In Ireland, the storm ― called Babett by British authorities ― caused flooding in several towns and villages, with some areas remaining underwater and without power on Thursday. Soldiers took part in evacuation measures in the town of Midleton, County Cork, where more than 100 properties were flooded.
In Denmark, residents rushed to place sandbags along exposed areas. In Assens, on the central island of Funen, the Danish Emergency Management Agency deployed huge rubber tubes in the harbor to counter rising waters, according to TV2. Police in southern Denmark have urged residents on the east coast to leave exposed areas if weather forecasts are confirmed, saying cottages, ports and other places could be flooded.
The town of Koege in southwestern Denmark said on its Facebook page that rescue workers were busy filling sandbags and urged citizens to “avoid unnecessary bathing, washing dishes, laundry and other activities requiring a lot of water”, specifying that “the municipal wastewater treatment plant risked being overloaded”.
Copenhagen Airport and the Danish national railway announced cancellations and delays on Friday due to bad weather.
Several ferry lines between the Danish islands have been suspended, as have ferries to Rostock, in northern Germany, and Oslo.
Swedish meteorologists also issued a warning for the south coast from Friday evening and Saturday. They said water levels in southern parts of Sweden could reach their highest level since the 1990s.
In Germany, authorities warned of rising waters in the bays of Schleswig-Holstein, south of the border with Denmark, until midday Saturday.
Authorities also warned of rising waters over the next two days on the Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany’s northernmost state, with water levels reaching two meters above average in the inlet where the town of Flensburg is located. Some ferries to the North Sea islands of Foehr and Amrum were delayed or canceled, German news agency dpa reported.
Norwegian meteorologists said a strong low over the UK combined with high pressure over northern Scandinavia was creating strong east-northeast winds, with “very strong gusts” expected in southern Scandinavia. Norway from the east.