13 dead as Powerful Storm Lashes Northern Europe, Hits London, Brussels, Amsterdam

LONDON — One of the most powerful storms in Europe in years left at least 13 people dead, hundreds of thousands without power and many stranded on Monday when trains, planes and ferries were canceled after high winds battered the northern part of the Continent.

Gusts of 99 miles per hour were recorded in the south of England as the storm brought parts of Britain to a standstill, uprooting trees, overturning a double-decker bus and toppling a crane near the London office of the deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg.

At least 13 storm-related deaths were reported, with most victims crushed by falling trees. Germany had six deaths, Britain had five and the Netherlands and Denmark had one each, The Associated Press reported. One woman was also missing after being swept into the surf in France.

A gas explosion killed two people in London, and a British teenager playing in the storm-driven surf was

swept out to sea, The A.P. reported. A man in Denmark was killed when a brick fell off a building and hit his head.

Many Britons still remember a 1987 storm that brought winds of up to 115 m.p.h. after a well-known weatherman, Michael Fish, had ridiculed the idea that a hurricane was on its way. This time Britain’s forecasters predicted the storm, but the transportation system is notoriously bad at handling extreme weather and even mild snow showers can paralyze networks.

On Monday, most train companies in southern England suspended some early morning services, including those connecting Gatwick and Stansted Airports to the capital. Some flights were canceled, and the worst-hit airport appeared to be Heathrow, which canceled around 130 flights.

Several lines on the London Underground were also affected, with train services delayed or in some cases suspended, and the Port of Dover closed for three hours after being lashed by winds of 70 m.p.h.

Power failures crippled many parts of the country. “This was as a result of networks’ being broken by objects such as trees, branches or road signs blown by the strong winds,” said Tim Field, a spokesman for the Energy Networks Association, the trade body for the operators of infrastructure. Mr. Field said around 580,000 customers had their power disrupted at one point during the storm, though by midday the number had dropped to 270,000.

At the Dungeness B power station in Kent, nuclear reactors shut down automatically after debris on incoming power lines interrupted energy to the site, EDF Energy said. “The reactors are safely shut down and National Grid staff are now working to restore the supply,” said Martin Pearson, station director at Dungeness B.

With thousands unable to get to work, some speculated that train companies had overreacted by canceling service before the first gust had reached British shores.

“Everyone has to act on the basis of the evidence that they are given and the information that they are given,” Prime Minister David Cameron said. “Obviously, afterwards we will be able to look back and see whether people made the right decisions.

“But right now what matters is listening to the evidence, working together and getting things back to normal.”

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