COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) – Europe experienced contrasting weather on Wednesday, with extreme cold and snowstorms disrupting transportation and forcing school closures in Scandinavia, while strong winds and heavy rain swamped Western Europe. Floods caused at least one death.
On Wednesday, temperatures in Northern Europe fell below -40 degrees Celsius (-40 degrees Fahrenheit) for the second day in a row. In Kvikjök Ålenjärka in Swedish Lapland, the mercury dropped to -43.6 degrees Celsius (-46.5 degrees Celsius), the lowest January temperature recorded in Sweden in 25 years, according to Sweden's TT news agency. reported.
Frigid temperatures, snow and strong winds disrupted transport across Northern Europe, with some bridges closed and some train and ferry services suspended. Several schools in Scandinavia have been closed.
Police in most parts of Denmark have urged motorists to avoid unnecessary travel as wind and snow batter the country's north and west.
Cyclists ride through heavy snow in Aalborg, northern Jutland, Denmark, on January 3, 2024 (Photo: Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP) / Denmark OUT (Photo by HENNING BAGGER/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images)
Further south, calm but wet and windy conditions prevailed, with storms causing damage in parts of Western Europe.
A tree fell on a car in the west of England, killing the driver. Gloucestershire Police said the man died in the incident near the town of Kemble on Tuesday afternoon.
The storm, named Genk by the official weather agencies of Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands, caused power outages, transport problems, property damage and disruption across the UK.
More than 300 flood warnings were in place across England and Wales on Wednesday, with 10,000 homes left without power. A severe, life-threatening flood warning has been issued for the River Nene in Northampton, central England. Several residents were evacuated from houseboats and caravans at nearby Billings Aquadrome.
Britain's rail network has been hit by flooding and power outages, with many operators reporting ongoing problems with the Wednesday morning commute.
Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service rescued people from a houseboat at Billing Aquadrome in Northampton, where the road to land was blocked due to rising waters caused by Storm Henk. A severe, life-threatening flood warning has been issued for the River Nene in Northampton, warning of deep, fast-moving water at Billing Aquadrome Holiday Park and nearby business parks. Photo date: Wednesday, January 3, 2024 (Photo by Jacob King/PA Images via Getty Images)
The strongest winds in the UK were recorded on the Isle of Wight off England's southern coast, with wind speeds reaching 94 miles per hour (151 kilometers per hour).
In the Netherlands, strong winds may have played a role in the death of a 75-year-old man who fell off his bicycle late Tuesday, police near the city of Eindhoven said, as strong winds battered large parts of the country.
Parts of Germany are also suffering from flooding, and the situation could worsen if more rain falls in the worst-hit northwestern state of Lower Saxony.
