Storms wreak havoc in northern Europe

EUROPE: The same storm system that has lashed Ireland and prompted a flood warning for the River Shannon yesterday killed at least 16 people and left hundreds of thousands without power across northern Europe.

Scandinavia and the Baltic region were worst hit, with seven people killed in Sweden, including a farmer who was crushed by bales of hay sent tumbling by winds of almost 100 m.ph. More than 220,000 homes in Sweden were without electricity after damage to the national grid that is expected to take months to fully repair.

In Denmark, falling trees and flying debris killed four people, and residents of the country's low-lying western regions had to erect sandbag defences to hold back rising flood water.

Some 16,500 Danish homes were also without power, as emergency crews began repairs to the infrastructure that are likely to cost more than €130 million.

Severe winds also hampered Norway's oil production for a fourth day yesterday, delaying repairs to three major offshore fields.

In north-west England, three people were killed and two more are feared dead after weekend storms that left more than 1,000 homes flooded and caused millions of pounds' worth of damage.

Two more men were missing, feared dead, on Germany's Baltic coast.

The Baltic state of Latvia declared a national energy crisis after thousands of electricity poles were flattened, depriving half of its 2.4 million people of power. The main cargo port of Ventspils was inundated with silt and sand, causing more than €1 million in damage that the port authority warned could take months to repair.

The government in Riga released €2.85 million to aid emergency and repair work in what it called the worst storm to hit the country in 40 years. In neighbouring Estonia, tens of thousands of people were left without heat and light.