Rare strong thunderstorms bring strong winds to Europe, killing many people

The storm complex was moving at an exceptional speed, which increased the dangers of the winds. A streak of severe storms hit the Corsican capital, Ajaccio, on the southwest coast at 8:15 a.m. local time on Thursday, then reached Cap Corse in the northeastern tip around 9:15 a.m., the Guardian reported. metocell. That’s a forward speed of about 70 mph.

Initial reports of wind gusts in Corsica include: 140 mph (225 km/h) in Marignana, 128 mph (206 km/h) in Lille Ross, and 122 mph (197 km/h) in Calvi , and 116 mph (188 km/h) in Bocognano, Among other things.

Dramatic video from Ajaccio Napoleon Bonaparte Airport in Corsica shows the extreme devastation that gusts of 136 mph, the equivalent of the force of a Category 4 hurricane. Consists An Airbus A319, a commercial airliner that can carry up to 156 passengers, has one of its wings bowed due to a storm, according to a report from AirLife.

At least five people were killed on and around the French island during the storm, according to the Associated Press: A 13-year-old girl and a 46-year-old man were killed at two of the camps; A 72-year-old woman died when the roof of her car collapsed; Two people died at sea – a kayak and a 62-year-old fisherman, their bodies washed ashore after the storm.

Several others were injured, and at least 12 people were hospitalized in Corsica, according to the report. High winds also left 45 or 00 people without electricity.

On the order, two people were killed in the Italian province of Tuscany when trees were uprooted from the ground, while several others were injured by fallen trees in one of the camps. In Venice, roaring winds threw tables and chairs like games in the famous Piazza San Marco, and bricks It was uprooted directly from the bell tower of St. Mark, the tallest building in the city.

In Piombino, Italy, storm video shows a Ferris wheel spinning rapidly in the storm, with wheel carriages spinning out of control as gale-force winds take over wheel operations. According to the Associated Press, walnut-sized hailstones have caused massive damage in Italy’s Liguria region, smashing windows and damaging farms already scorched by drought.

The storm continued to bring intense lightning and strong winds even after it swept across parts of northern Italy. Video from the city of Kranj, Slovenia, shows high winds ripping off the roof of what appears to be a large apartment complex, damaging cars parked below.

in Austria, Another amazing video Shows high voltage power masts bent in half. according to Reports From Austrian broadcaster ORF, at least 65,000 people in Styria, a province in the heart of Austria, lost power during the storm, which brought winds of at least 139 km/h (86 mph).

Elsewhere in Austria, at least two children were killed in Carinthia after strong winds toppled trees near a crowded lake.

The peak storm winds were apparently on a par with some of the highest rates ever recorded outside of the mountains in Europe. Such high winds on a large scale Uncommon during summer in the region. The majority of Extensive wind damage events They occur in fall through spring, and usually come from strong mid-latitude storm systems that dance along the jet stream.

Some speculate that the storm may meet the requirements of Derecho – a broad-based, long-lived gust of wind at least 60 miles wide and leaving 400 miles of damage. Until then, the storm group should have winds of at least 58 miles per hour across most of its length, with multiple gusts of at least 75 miles per hour, according to the US National Weather Service.

About one major derecho forms over Europe annually, or several on a small scale. for every Research conducted by the European Severe Storms Laboratory (ESSL) scientists, most of these convective wind storms have a much smaller and less intense footprint than the patch that occurred Thursday. It also seems that location and directional movement are somewhat uncommon.

It reminds us of the shock that hit Germany, including Berlin, in July 2002. That storm was responsible for eight deaths and 50 injuries.

authors Study on this derecho It found that “extreme convection can reach a magnitude and intensity similar to that of the United States.”