European Winter Storm Franz

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Posting Date: January 12, 2007, 12:00:00 PM

Winter storm Franz buffeted the British Isles and continental Europe with heavy winds and rain on January 11-12, 2007. The storms caused flooding, travel disruptions and power outages across 11 countries. Ten fatalities have been reported. Reported observation data for the storm include sustained winds of 40-45 mph and gusts up to 65 mph across Germany, the UK, Ireland, and France, though winds between 80 and 100 mph have been reported in the media. The highest observed wind gust was 87 mph over the North Sea. Minimum central pressure was under 950 mb as it struck the UK. While the storm weakened to around 980 mb over mainland Europe, winds associated with the cold front were still quite strong. Winds uprooted trees, knocked down power lines, and damaged houses across the affected region. Eighty thousand people lost power in Wales, as well as 1,200 households in Austria, 2,500 households in Poland, and an unknown number in the Czech Republic. Heavy rains in England added water to soils already saturated from recent rainfalls, exacerbating flooding and tree damage. Rail and road travel were severely disrupted in the UK due to downed trees and electrical lines. The winds were strong enough to overturn trucks and cars in the UK, Germany, and Belgium. Ferry service across the English Channel and along the German Baltic and North Sea coasts was also interrupted, and several flights were cancelled at England’s Heathrow and the Netherlands’ Schiphol airports. Over 170 flooding warnings and watches were posted across England, Scotland, and Wales. Heavy rainfall sparked flooding on numerous rivers in England, while low-lying areas of Hamburg, Germany, were expected to be flooded by storm tide. The storm claimed eight lives at sea, sinking two fishing trawlers off the coast of Ireland and knocking a steward on a Russian cargo ship overboard. Police and firefighters in Germany and the UK responded to several reports of injuries due to falling trees or car accidents. Two automobile fatalities, one each in England and Belgium, have been blamed on the storm. Winds are expected to die down over the UK tonight, but additional rainfall is expected to further heighten the flood risk. Using available meteorological information, AIR’s extratropical cyclone team has run loss simulations of Franz using the AIR NWP-based Extratropical Cyclone Model for Europe. Based on current meteorological information, AIR expects that wind-associated losses to onshore properties will not be significant.

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Posting Date: January 12, 2007, 12:00:00 PM