The European death toll from Storm Ciarán, which passed over several European countries on Thursday, has risen to 18. Another less intense storm is already appearing on the weather charts.
On Saturday morning, it was reported that the body of a fourth victim was discovered inside the wreck of a sailing boat that capsized on Friday due to the swell caused by Storm Ciarán, near the coast of central Portugal.
It was found as the authorities were removing debris from the boat located on one of the beaches at Santa Cruz, around 60km north of Lisbon, navy spokesperson José Sousa Luis told AFP.
Initially, the Portuguese authorities had reported the discovery of three victims, two men and a woman, on the beach where the boat ran aground, and believed that there were only three people on board. However, this latest finding has brought the number of deaths in this incident to four.
Later in the day, it was confirmed that a seventh victim was found in Italy, bringing the death toll caused by Storm Ciarán in Western Europe to 18. The body of a 69-year-old man who had previously been reported missing was found in Tuscany.
Storm Ciarán was a so-called "bomb cyclone". These are unusual storms where explosive intensification leads to exceptionally strong winds: records were broken in several weather station across Western Europe. The fact that it can also bring heavy rainfall makes this storm unique.
A fallen-over tree on Avenue des Arums in Auderghem. Credit: Brussels Fire Brigade
In Belgium, the first death as a result of the storm was confirmed on Thursday afternoon. A tree fell on two walkers in the Citadel Park in Ghent city centre, resulting in one of the victims, a 64-year-old German tourist, dying. The other suffered a broken leg.
Later in the day, a five-year-old child of Ukrainian origin died as a result of the storm in the same city. The accident occurred during playground activities on the Henri Storyplein, when a broken-off branch hit two children. The second child was injured.
Meanwhile, two people in France, and one each in the Netherlands, Germany and Spain.
Storm Domingos
Just two days after Storm Ciarán reaped havoc in western Europe, France and Spain put out new weather warnings for another storm, Domingos. Although it is expected to be less intense than Thursday's stormy weather, especially in Belgium, it could have an impact in other countries.
France, where the north of the country was especially battered during Storm Ciarán, braced itself. French weather service Météo France issued code orange for ten departments in the Gironde and Charente-Maritime regions, among others, at 18:00 on Friday evening. Gusts of up to 120 km/h are expected here.
But also in central France, in the Limousin and Auvergne regions, gusts of up to 100 km/h are predicted. Bouches-du-Rhône and the Var in southeastern France are also given code orange, specifically for flooding due to rising seawater. Corsica is also preparing for heavy rain. Gusts inland are measured at around 80 km/h.
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Code orange applies in large parts of Spain, but in the north of the country, code red has been issued. On the coast, Spanish weather service AEMET expects waves of up to 8 metres, while strong gusts are also expected in the centre of the country and The Balearic Islands.
In Belgium, a yellow alert warning was issued for rain in the province of Luxembourg on Saturday night, while other parts of the country are experiencing light showers with more heavy showers locally.
