storm eleanor UK
The first windstorm of the new year has caused damage and major travel disruption across western Europe.

Locations from the British Isles into France, Netherlands and Germany all endured powerful winds, rain and coastal flooding.

United Kingdom and Ireland

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the storm was dubbed Storm Eleanor.

A peak wind gust of 100 mph (161 km/h) was reported at Great Dun Fell in Northern England with widespread wind gusts over 60 mph (97 km/h) throughout Northern Ireland, Wales and England and Ireland.

Multiple rescues were reported across the U.K. due to trees falling on cars, according to The Guardian.

Waves crash over the stone jetty wall in Aberystwyth in west Wales as Storm Eleanor lashed Britain with violent storm-force winds of up to 100mph, leaving thousands of homes without power and hitting transport links Wednesday Jan. 3, 2018.
© Aaron Chown/PA via APWaves crash over the stone jetty wall in Aberystwyth in west Wales as Storm Eleanor lashed Britain with violent storm-force winds of up to 100mph, leaving thousands of homes without power and hitting transport links Wednesday Jan. 3, 2018.
Coastal flooding was reported across Cornwall as the high surf poured over sea walls and damaged the harbour wall in Portreath.

More than 20,000 homes were without power in the U.K. with most located across Northern Ireland. Another 55,000 homes were without power across Ireland.


Travel impacts have been wide ranging with numerous road closures due to fallen trees. Several high traffic bridges were closed during the worst of the storm, which resulted in further travel delays.

Rail traffic also endured significant disruption due to flooding and downed trees. A pair of trampolines blew on tracks causing further delays, according to Network Rail.


France

The powerful windstorm, also called Eleanor, caused significant damaged through France on Wednesday with northern areas hit the hardest.

At least 15 people have been injured, four seriously, by Eleanor according to Europe1.

One fatality has been reported at a ski area in southeast France due to a falling tree, according to BFMTV.

A scaffolding collapsed due to a violent windstorm, in Paris, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018, as France's national electricity provider reports 200,000 households without electricity across the country, including 30,000 in the Paris region due to storm damage.
© AP Photo/Thibault CamusA scaffolding collapsed due to a violent windstorm, in Paris, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018, as France's national electricity provider reports 200,000 households without electricity across the country, including 30,000 in the Paris region due to storm damage.
Around 200,000 homes were without power during the height of the storm across 49 departments, according to the Associated Press. About 30,000 of the outages were reported in the Paris area.

The storm also uprooted trees which damaged cars and homes and caused scaffolding to collapse in Paris.

While the most widespread damage and travel disruption was reported across northern France, the strongest gust was recorded in the Alps with a peak gust of 91 mph (146 km/h) on Mont Aigoual. Dieppe, along France's northern coastline, reported a peak wind gust of 85 mph (137 km/h).

Paris was battered by the strongest winds so far this winter as a gust of 73 mph (117 km/h) was reported in the city.

Netherlands

The storm also battered the Netherlands causing widespread travel disruption and damage.

There have been reports of downed trees damaging homes and automobiles while also snarling travel by road and rail across all Dutch provinces, according to NLTimes.

A peak wind gust of 87 mph (140 km/h) was reported in Vlissingen.

Amsterdam and Rotterdam both reported a peak wind gust of 58 mph (93 km/h).

Schiphzl airport was forced to cancel 176 flights on Wednesday due to the storm.

Germany

Damaging winds were also reported across Germany where the storm has been named Storm Burglind.

Orsbach, in far western Germany, reported the highest wind gust as winds reached 76 mph (122 km/h).


Powerful winds also blasted Stuttgart and Cologne. Wind gusts of 67 and 68 mph (108 and 109 km/h) were reported Wednesday.

The powerful winds have uprooted trees, causing road closures in western Germany, according to The Local.

A 70-meter high wind turbine was toppled by the strong winds in Volksdorf, according to Schaumburger Nachrichten.

The strong winds have also triggered delays and cancellations of rail traffic across western Germany.

The storm also brought damaging winds and travel disruption to Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland.


Comment: While Europe gets battered by Storm Eleanor, only days after being hit by another storm, the US is plunged into freezing temperatures by a 'bomb cyclone':