Germany, Denmark pounded by intense storm

Storm Malik struck the UK, Denmark, northern Poland and Germany, killing at least four people. An intense storm continued to pound northern Europe early Sunday, causing coastal surges and forcing public transport to be cancelled.

The storm system, which is known as Nadia in Germany and Malik in other countries, began on Saturday bringing hurricane-level winds at times to the North Sea and Baltic Sea coastlines.

In Germany, one person was killed when he was hit by an election poster that had been loosened by the strong wind, Bild newspaper reported. A companion was also injured.

Scotland saw winds of 100 miles per hour (160 kilometres) per hour, killing a 60-year-old woman in Aberdeen, who was hit by a fallen tree.

In central England, a nine-year-old boy died when a tree fell on him and a man. In addition, 130,000 homes across England were without electricity after power lines were cut.

In Poland’s Wejherowo County, on the Baltic Coast, one person was killed and another injured by a falling tree, according to the Rzeczpospolita newspaper. Across the country, more than 680,000 people are without power.

Hamburg market flooded

A storm surge struck the northern German city of Hamburg, where the Elbe River extends to the North Sea. The waters flooded the fish market in Hamburg’s St Pauli district overnight.

Several cars in the city were washed away by the storm surge. Also in Hamburg, a barge loaded with an excavator was pushed against a bridge by the storm.

Bild reported that the excavator operator and captain fell overboard but survived. Water levels in the Elbe reached several meters higher than usual high tides. Off the northern German coast, an empty freighter drifted for several hours in the strong winds.

Emergency command from the port of Cuxhaven sent tugs to steady the 190-meter (623 foot) long Vienna, which took six hours. Flood warnings were also issued for other parts of the northern German states of Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Fallen trees disrupt rail services

The storm reportedly disrupted train services in Schleswig-Holstein due to fallen trees, German rail operated Deutsche Bahn said.

In the northern German city of Bremen, a fire department spokesperson said they were sent out on nine separate calls to deal with fallen trees in the area, although no injuries were reported. The storm is expected to peak later Sunday, according to the DWD.

Denmark shuts major bridges

In Denmark, the combined highway and railway Oresund bridge which links the country with neighbouring Sweden was closed, along with the Great Belt Fixed Link bridge connecting the Danish islands of Zealand and Funen.

Some 10,000 emergency workers per put on standby to deal with emergency calls, the Ritzau news agency reported. In the town of Frederikssund, 20 people in need of daily care were moved to safety as care could not be guaranteed in the case of flooding, broadcaster TV2 reported,

On the island of Zealand, where the Danish capital Copenhagen is located, almost all regional train traffic had been suspended, according to the broadcaster DR.

-DW