LONDON // Disrupted transport networks and power cuts wreaked havoc in Britain and France yesterday, one of the busiest travel and shopping days of the year, after hurricane-force winds and torrential rain lashed the region.
Winds up to 145kph hit both sides of the English Channel, killing at least three people, as heavy downpours caused rivers to flood, traffic bottlenecks, and rail, flight and ferry services to be cancelled.
Britain’s busiest airport, Heathrow, cancelled or delayed flights, while the country’s second busiest airport, Gatwick, had one terminal hit by a major power cut.
British train operators also cancelled hundreds of services yesterday morning, by which time the storm had abated, leaving hundreds of thousands stranded and unable to travel to or from London.
The weather is expected to be a blow for British retailers eager to cash in on the traditional Christmas rush. “Given retailers’ hopes that the last couple of days before Christmas would see a final strong surge in sales, the awful weather could not have come at a worse time,” said one analyst.
Brittany and Normandy were among the regions worst hit in France, where 240,000 homes were deprived of electricity, while in southern England, 100,000 homes were cut off from the power grid.
British police said a man, 48, drowned in the Rothay River in northern England after falling in trying to save his dog, which survived, while a woman’s body was found in a river in North Wales.
In France, a teenager was killed and another seriously injured on Monday when a wall at a building site collapsed in Normandy. Naval authorities said a Russian sailor was reported missing after being blown overboard a cargo ship off the coast of Brest.
Energy network groups in both countries said work had begun to address the damage.
France’s SNCF national rail service had numerous delays but no rail lines were shut by the storms.
Britain’s environment agency said flooding would hit much of the country, with 250 flood alerts, 80 flood warnings and one severe flood warning in place. Towns in Brittany in France faced severe flooding.
* Reuters
The 12
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
