分类： world

Western Europe faced severe weather disruptions on Friday as Storm Goretti, a powerful Atlantic weather system, battered coastal regions of northern France and southern England with destructive winds, heavy precipitation, and significant infrastructure damage.

The meteorological event originated as a deep low-pressure system that first struck the Isles of Scilly off England’s southwestern coast, where wind velocities reached unprecedented speeds of 99 mph (159 kph). The extreme conditions resulted in blocked transportation routes, structurally compromised buildings, and extensive power failures that subsequently affected water supply systems in multiple communities.

According to National Grid, Britain’s primary electricity transmission operator, over 57,000 households and commercial establishments experienced power interruptions across southwestern England, the Midlands, and Wales. The situation intensified as the advancing storm front interacted with an established Arctic air mass, generating substantial snowfall across northern territories and torrential rainfall in southern regions.

Northern Scotland endured particularly severe conditions, with accumulated snow depths exceeding half a meter (20 inches) from earlier winter events. Municipal authorities deployed snowplows continuously to maintain road accessibility, while educational institutions remained shuttered—over 250 schools across Scotland canceled classes, with some facilities closing for five consecutive days.

Transportation networks suffered extensive disruptions throughout the United Kingdom. National Rail issued comprehensive travel advisories warning of service interruptions across England, Scotland, and Wales. Birmingham Airport implemented temporary closures due to hazardous conditions, later resuming operations with significantly reduced runway capacity.

The Met Office, Britain’s national meteorological service, had preemptively declared its highest-level red weather warning for southwestern England—an exceptional measure reserved for potentially life-threatening conditions.

Simultaneously, northwestern France experienced comparable devastation from the storm’s onslaught. French power grid operator Enedis reported approximately 320,000 households without electricity by midday Friday, notably concentrated in Normandy where wind gusts reached extraordinary velocities of 213 kph (132 mph) at Gatteville-le-Phare.

Météo-France, the national weather service, had issued severe weather alerts recommending residents remain indoors. Regional rail services throughout northwestern France were suspended indefinitely, while high-speed rail connections and Paris airport operations maintained minimal service levels despite the challenging conditions.

In a significant escalation of hostilities, Russia has confirmed deploying its advanced Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile during a massive overnight assault on Ukrainian territory. The strikes resulted in four fatalities and twenty-five injuries in the capital city of Kyiv, where residents endured hours of deafening explosions that illuminated the night sky.

According to Russia’s defense ministry, this offensive operation was conducted as a retaliatory measure for an alleged Ukrainian drone attack on President Vladimir Putin’s residence in late December—an accusation that Ukrainian authorities vehemently deny. While the ministry did not identify specific targets for the Oreshnik missile, social media platforms circulated videos showing multiple explosions near Lviv, a western Ukrainian city located approximately 60 kilometers from the Polish border.

Ukrainian officials confirmed that ballistic missile strikes damaged critical infrastructure in the Lviv area. The Oreshnik system, first deployed in November 2024 against Dnipro, represents a formidable technological advancement with an estimated range of 5,500 kilometers. Its warhead is designed to fragment during final descent into multiple independently targeted projectiles, creating distinctive sequential explosions.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha characterized the strike near NATO’s eastern flank as ‘a grave threat to European security and a test for the transatlantic community,’ dismissing Russia’s justification as based on ‘hallucinations.’ The European Union has expressed skepticism regarding Russia’s claims about the initial drone incident, with former U.S. President Donald Trump recently questioning whether the alleged attack on Putin’s residence ever occurred.

The assault on Kyiv involved sophisticated tactical coordination, employing over a dozen missiles and hundreds of drones. Tragedy struck when a paramedic responding to an initial explosion became a victim of a ‘double-tap’ strike—a military tactic where secondary explosives target first responders. Residential buildings along the Dnipro River and in central districts sustained direct hits, while power outages affected multiple neighborhoods during exceptionally harsh winter conditions, with temperatures expected to drop to -15°C.

Concurrently, Ukrainian forces targeted Russian energy infrastructure, with half a million residents in Belgorod losing power and the city of Oryol experiencing disruptions to water and heating systems following strikes on power plants. This reciprocal targeting of energy infrastructure has become a defining characteristic of the conflict, creating humanitarian challenges for civilians on both sides of the border.

Ukrainian cities faced a severe escalation in hostilities as Russian forces executed a coordinated multi-front assault overnight Thursday into Friday. The offensive, which combined drone and missile strikes, resulted in significant civilian casualties and infrastructure damage across multiple regions.

According to official statements from Kyiv’s military administration, the attacks claimed four lives and left at least twenty-two individuals wounded. Among the fatalities was an emergency medical responder, highlighting the dangers faced by first responders during active combat operations. Ukraine’s security service confirmed that five rescue personnel sustained injuries while attempting to provide assistance at attack sites.

The western city of Lviv experienced particularly concerning developments when an unidentified ballistic missile targeted critical infrastructure facilities. Mayor Andriy Sadoviy reported the strike, while Ukraine’s Western Air Force Command later disclosed the missile traveled at approximately 13,000 kilometers per hour. Military analysts are currently working to identify the specific rocket type used in this unprecedented attack.

In the capital, several districts suffered direct impacts from the assault. The Desnyanskyi district witnessed a drone collision with a multi-story residential building, while another location within the same district sustained damage to the lower floors of an apartment complex. Meanwhile, in Dnipro district, debris from downed drones ignited fires and caused structural damage to civilian housing.

The aftermath of the bombardment created widespread disruption throughout Kyiv, with Mayor Vitali Klitschko reporting interruptions to both water and electricity services. These utility failures occurred during particularly harsh winter conditions, compounding the challenges for emergency response teams.

This escalation comes shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned the nation about Russia’s planned large-scale offensive operations. The president specifically noted Russia’s intention to exploit adverse weather conditions, including dangerously icy roads and frigid temperatures that complicate defense efforts.