Storm Babet
Meteorological history | |
---|---|
Formed | 15 October 2023 |
Dissipated | 22 October 2023 |
Extratropical cyclone | |
Highest gusts | 185 km/h (115 mph; 100 kn) at Cairn Gorm, Scotland |
Lowest pressure | 977 hPa (mbar); 28.85 inHg |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 8
|
Evacuated | 3,172
|
Areas affected | Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom |
Power outages | 113,400+
|
Part of the 2023–24 European windstorm season |
Storm Babet (known as Storm Viktor in Germany)[1] was an intense extratropical cyclone which affected large parts of northern and western Europe. The second named storm of the 2023–24 European windstorm season, Babet was named by the UK's Met Office on 16 October 2023.[2]
Impact
Denmark
On 20 October, parts of Denmark experienced water levels over two metres higher than usual, with a water level of 2.16 m (7 ft 1 in) measured in Aabenraa and Hesnæs, and many parts of Aabenraa had to be evacuated. In Sønderborg, the storm surge was the highest since 1904, with a water level of 2.10 m (6 ft 11 in) above normal, and was the highest since records began in 1892 at Gedser with a height of 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) above normal.[3]
Due to the storm, 142 flights at Copenhagen Airport were cancelled.[4] Køge consistently had a waterlevel of 1 m (3 ft 3 in) through most of the storm, especially in the central area.[5] All areas by the coastline in Haderslev Municipality were ordered to evacuate as many areas were on the verge of flooding.[6] On 20 October a wind gust of 122 km/h (34 m/s) was recorded in Nordborg.[7]
The massive Lolland dike[8] that goes from parts of Lolland and Falster was also at the brink of collapse, as the storm almost overwhelmed the old dike, but it did it's job almost a century later.[9]
Bornholm was also not safe, despite the waterlevel being lower than others. Allinge-Sandvig and Tejn[10] were hit hardest, with roads that were being torn up by the storm. Houses were being destroyed, and even swept away, and while the more rocky island fared better than the rest of Denmark, the coastal towns and fishing towns were in a poor state.[11]
Germany
On 19 October, a 33-year-old woman was killed on the German island of
On 21 October, a wind gust of 33 m/s (120 km/h; 74 mph) was recorded at
Portugal
On 17 October, ceilings in the terminal building of Faro Airport collapsed after 59.2 mm (2.33 in) of rain fell in the area and caused flooding.[15] Roofs were ripped off of homes in Castro Marim.[16]
Norway
On 21 October, 22,700 people were without electricity in
United Kingdom
On 18 October, Storm Babet hit Torbay, with a beach bar swept into the sea in Torquay and major damage to beach huts in Paignton and Teignmouth, where a seaside skatepark was flooded.[18]
On 19 October, a 57-year-old woman's body was recovered from the
On 20 October, a man was killed in
On 21 October, a woman in her 80s was found dead at her home in
On 22 October, around 500 homes were urged to evacuate in Retford following high water levels on the River Idle, which prompted two severe flood warnings in the area.[34] A sinkhole appeared on the eponymous Bridge of Dun in Angus.[35]
Travel disruption
On 20 October, a large plane skidded off a runway whilst landing at Leeds Bradford Airport, causing the airport to close. All of the passengers aboard the TUI flight from Corfu were evacuated from the plane safely, and the airport reopened at 11:30 BST the next day.[36] The storm caused the suspension of the Shields Ferry until 22 October.[27]
The storm caused severe disruption to travel after many roads were closed and railways flooded. On 21 October,
Seabird displacement
Storm Babet displaced unprecedented numbers of seabirds into the
Legacy
United Kingdom
The Met Office, the UK's national weather service, announced it would review its warnings as a result of the floods in Suffolk and Norfolk.[39] Only a yellow warning was issued for the area, but Suffolk County Council declared a major incident after severe flooding.[39]
See also
- Weather of 2023
- 2023 United Kingdom floods
- Great storm of 1987 – a powerful European windstorm which also hit the United Kingdom during mid-October.
References
- ^ "Küstensturm im Herbst – alles wie immer?". DWD (in German). 18 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ "Storm Babet has been named". Met Office. 16 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ Brandt, Anders (21 October 2023). "Værste stormflod i over 100 år: Kan nogle steder have været en 500-årshændelse". DR (in Danish). Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- AP News. 21 October 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ "Følg stormfloden live her - TV 2". vejr.tv2.dk (in Danish). 19 October 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
- ^ "ALLE TRUEDE OMRÅDER VED KYSTEN EVAKUERES". Facebook (in Danish). 20 October 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ http://www.dmi.dk/vejrarkiv/
- ^ "Det lollandske dige", Wikipedia, den frie encyklopædi (in Danish), 2 November 2023, retrieved 28 December 2023
- ^ Kryger, Morten Tiirikainen Peter. "Lollands forsvar mod stormflod var centimeter fra kollaps". TV2 ØST (in Danish). Retrieved 13 November 2023.
- ^ "Følg konsekvenserne af stormfloden her - TV 2". vejr.tv2.dk (in Danish). 20 October 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
- ^ "bornholms havne er nogle af de haardest ramte". TV 2/Bornholm. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
- ^ "Rekordhochwasser an Ostsee - Millionenschaden erwartet". NDR (in German). 21 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ "Weatherdata from Saturday 21 October 2023". Wetterzentrale. 21 October 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ Woodcock, Jodie (20 October 2023). "Weather tracker: Storm Babet leaves trail of destruction across Portugal". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ Donn, Natasha (18 October 2023). "Extreme weather situation forecast for Portuguese mainland". Portugal Resident. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ Brækstad, Preben; Medby, Marius; David Johansen, Øystein (21 October 2023). "Uværet «Babet»: − Trampolinen er sporløst forsvunnet". VG (in Norwegian). Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ Owen, Brodie (18 October 2023). "Bar owner 'loses everything' as Storm Babet hits". BBC News. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ Hall, Rachel (19 October 2023). "Storm Babet: body of woman recovered from river as evacuations ordered". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ Dewar, Caitlyn (20 October 2023). "Second person dies during Storm Babet after falling tree strikes van". STV News. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ Butler, Alexander (20 October 2023). "Inside the Scottish town evacuated as Storm Babet threatens record rainfall". The Independent. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ "Sunderland's Roker Pier to remain closed after Storm Babet damage". BBC News. 24 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ Cook, Allen (20 October 2023). "Man dies in Cleobury Mortimer flood during Storm Babet". BBC News. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ Heren, Kit (20 October 2023). "Two women killed as lorry overturns on M4 amid high winds and rain from Storm Babet". LBC News. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ Britton, Ruaraidh (21 October 2023). "Search for man trapped in vehicle near Marykirk continues amid Storm Babet flooding". Aberdeen Live. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ "Body found in vehicle after man trapped in Storm Babet flooding". BBC News. 23 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ a b "Storm Babet: Top ripped off South Shields lighthouse as waves batter the coast". ITV News. 20 October 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- The Evening Standard. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ Shoesmith, Kevin; Bodmer, Phil (22 October 2023). "Yorkshire flooding: Catcliffe residents feel abandoned by authorities". BBC News. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ Banks, Ken (21 October 2023). "Storm Babet: Coastguard airlifts workers off North Sea platform". BBC News. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- SSEN. 21 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ Bateman, Stephanie (20 October 2023). "Storm Babet: 40,000 Northern Powergrid residents and businesses affected by power cuts". Doncaster Free Press. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ @SPEnergyNetwork (21 October 2023). "1⃣Over the course of yesterday, Storm Babet affected over 14,000 of our customers with a small number of homes still without power" (Tweet). Retrieved 21 October 2023 – via Twitter.
- ^ Jones, Harrison (22 October 2023). "Storm Babet flooding sees severe warnings as hundreds evacuate". BBC News. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ "Storm Babet: Sinkhole appears on Bridge of Dun after heavy rain and flooding". Sky News. 22 October 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ Attridge, Chris; Mistry, Pritti (21 October 2023). "Leeds Bradford Airport reopens after plane skids off runway during Storm Babet". BBC News. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ "King's Cross station closed due to overcrowding after Storm Babet". BBC News. 21 October 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ "Review of the Week: 16-22 October 2023". Birdguides. 23 October 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
- ^ a b "Met Office to review warnings after East of England floods". BBC News. 24 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.