A severe storm nicknamed ‘Niklas’ hit central Europe on Tuesday, leaving a path of destruction across Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the UK – killing nine in the process.
Niklas is one of the most powerful storms to hit Europe in years with winds reaching 118 mph.
Weather.com reports:
The BBC said at least nine deaths were blamed on the weather. At least seven of those deaths were in Germany, including two men who died when a tree hit their vehicle.
Walls crumble, roads ice over and people blown off ladders as fatal storms hits Europe http://t.co/RgbHMfQSwL #Niklas pic.twitter.com/909vuT2FiB
— SBS News (@SBSNews) April 1, 2015
In the eastern German town of Gross Santersleben, a man was killed when a concrete wall damaged by the storm fell on him, police told The Associated Press.
The Weather Channel U.K. reports flights and rail services were thrown into chaos and Munich’s central rail station was evacuated because of roof damage. Even by Wednesday, railways in Germany still weren’t at full service because of the storm.