Storm Ciara Disrupts European Transport, Soccer Matches

Hundreds of flights were canceled and trains ground to a halt as Storm Ciara, or Sabine as it’s known in Germany, moved across Europe.

Winds reached more than 80 miles per hour, according to the Met Office. British Airways recorded its fastest ever flight from North America to Europe, clocking in at 4 hours and 56 minutes, while the Queen was forced to cancel her weekly visit to church.

Here’s how the disruption is affecting countries across Europe:

U.K.

A spokeswoman for London’s Heathrow airport said it had decided to “preemptively consolidate” its schedule today to minimize disruption. British Airways, which operates more than half of the slots at Heathrow, has canceled upwards of 100 flights and is merging flights to the same destination.

The Heathrow Express, which runs between the airport and Paddington station in London, was suspended for several hours after two trains got stuck on the line. The London Tramlink was part suspended due to a tree on the track, according to the Transport for London website. Rail companies including Southeastern, Thameslink and the Gatwick Express were advising passengers not to travel.

The Premier League said the match between Manchester City and West Ham was postponed due to the extreme weather.

Germany

Lufthansa’s Eurowings suspended flight operations at airports including Hamburg, Berlin and Cologne for the duration of the storm. The airline said its flights may be affected until at least Tuesday morning and advised customers to check the website for updates.

At Frankfurt airport nearly 180 flights will be canceled after airlines chose to alter services proactively due to risky conditions elsewhere, a Fraport spokeswoman said. As of 5:20 p.m. local time, Frankfurt flight operations were still running smoothly. Railway operator Deutsche Bahn suspended long-haul routes in all of Germany.

France

Meteo France issued an “orange warning” for the north and west of the country, indicating people should avoid travel. They also advised people to stay away from the coast because of exceptionally large waves, with swells as high as 6.6 meters (22 feet) reported off the western France.

Ferry services between Calais and Dover were suspended and French rail operator SNCF canceled some services in the Normandy region. Aeroports de Paris, which operates Charles de Gaulle airport and Paris-Orly, warned of possible delays and said travelers should check with airlines.

Netherlands

About 120 flights were canceled at Schipol airport in Amsterdam. The national football association canceled all games Sunday due to the storm, according to its Twitter page.

Denmark

Meteorologists warned of possible hurricane-force winds as flights were canceled out of Copenhagen, according to the Press Association.