Flights axed and floods feared as Storm Ciara clobbers Europe

Cars sit in floodwater in Brighouse, West Yorkshire, Britain February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Ed Sykes

Storm Ciara lashed Britain and northern continental Europe with heavy rain and wind speeds that reached more than 90 miles an hour (145 kph) in places on Sunday, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights, train services and sports matches.

More than 200 flood warnings were issued across Britain, which recorded a maximum wind speed of 93 miles an hour at Aberdaron in Wales. One severe flood warning was put in place in Yorkshire, northern England, where water was predicted to overflow flood defenses and potentially threaten lives.

The River Irwell is seen in Ramsbottom, Lancashire as hurricane-force winds and rain have affected the country's transport network leading to disruptions and prompting warnings of power cuts and a risk to life, in Britain February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Jon Super

The storm caused major disruption to transport across the region; in the Netherlands, around 240 flights to and from Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, one of Europe's busiest, were canceled as Ciara roared in off the Atlantic with gusts of up to 74 mph (120 kph).

In Germany, where Ciara was named Sabine, about 180 flights to and from Frankfurt airport - about 15% of all planned flights - were axed. Lufthansa <LHAG.DE>, Germany's largest carrier, said it would cancel short and long-haul flights from Munich airport on Monday until 1200 GMT and 1300 GMT, respectively.

Lufthansa's budget unit Eurowings said it had suspended flight operations at Hamburg, Berlin, Hanover, Dortmund, Duesseldorf, Cologne and Stuttgart. Meanwhile, some British domestic and international flights were also canceled, from airports including Heathrow and Gatwick.

Cars drive through floodwater as hurricane-force winds and rain affected the country's transport network leading to disruptions and prompting warnings of power cuts and a risk to life, in Manchester, Britain February 9, 2020. Storm Ciara has brought heavy rain and winds, caused widespread flooding and has led to the cancellation of sporting events. REUTERS/Jon Super

Train services also fell victim to Ciara's wrath.

German railway operator Deutsche Bahn warned of severe disruptions and said it would stop long-distance train travel across Germany, Europe's biggest economy, in the evening.

Britain's Network Rail said the weather had caused problems across its network, with fallen power lines, trees and even trampolines blocking tracks, and warned people not to travel unless they had to.

People wait inside the main railway station of Cologne as trains are cancelled due to storm Sabine in Cologne, Germany, February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen

SPORT DISRUPTED

All shipping movements in and out of Britain's Port of Dover on the south coast were suspended and the Humber Bridge in northern England was closed to all traffic for only the second time since it opened in 1981.

A man takes his dog for a walk as waves hit the sea wall in Saltcoats, Scotland, Britain February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

London's eight royal parks, home to more than 170,000 trees, were closed and even the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, a tourist draw, was also canceled.

Sporting events were also hit; Manchester City said its English Premier League soccer match against West Ham was postponed due to "extreme and escalating weather conditions", while Scotland's Women's Six Nations rugby match against England was among the other matches canceled.

All professional Dutch soccer matches were canceled, along with most outdoor sporting events.

A child takes shelter behind an adult as waves hit the sea wall in Saltcoats, Scotland, Britain February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan in London, Christoph Steitz in Frankfurt and Anthony Deutsch in Amsterdam; Editing by Pravin Char)

A felled tree lies on Clapham Common in south London as Storm Ciara hits large parts of Britain February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Cars drive through floodwater as hurricane-force winds and rain affected the country's transport network leading to disruptions and prompting warnings of power cuts and a risk to life, in Manchester, Britain February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Jon Super

People climb a railing, trying to avoid the floodwater, outside a restaurant in Brighouse, West Yorkshire, Britain February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Ed Sykes

A man avoids the floodwater outside a restaurant in Brighouse, West Yorkshire, Britain February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Ed Sykes

A man walks through the floodwater next to abandoned cars in Brighouse, West Yorkshire, Britain February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Ed Sykes

A man walks his dog trough a windswept Clapham Common in south London as Storm Ciara hits large parts of Britain February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

A flooded road is seen in Rawtenstall, Lancashire as hurricane-force winds and rain have affected Britain's transport network leading to disruptions and prompting warnings of power cuts and a risk to life, February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Jon Super

Cars drive through floodwater as hurricane-force winds and rain affected the country's transport network leading to disruptions and prompting warnings of power cuts and a risk to life, in Manchester, Britain February 9, 2020. Storm Ciara has brought heavy rain and winds, caused widespread flooding and has led to the cancellation of sporting events. REUTERS/Jon Super

Cars drive through floodwater as hurricane-force winds and rain affected the country's transport network leading to disruptions and prompting warnings of power cuts and a risk to life, in Manchester, Britain February 9, 2020. Storm Ciara has brought heavy rain and winds, caused widespread flooding and has led to the cancellation of sporting events. REUTERS/Jon Super

A car drives through a flood water during Storm Ciara in Brighouse, West Yorkshire, Britain, Febraury 9, 2020 in this screengrab obtained from video. Alan Burton via REUTERS

Large waves and sea spray caused by Storm Ciara hit vehicles being driven along the seafront in Newhaven, Britain February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Toby Melville

A lifeboat sails in high waves and strong winds caused by Storm Ciara, in the English Channel in Newhaven, Britain February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Toby Melville

A flooded street is seen after Storm Ciara downpour in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, Britain February 9, 2020 in this still image obtained from social media video. Courtesy of THE AFGHAN RUG SHOP/via REUTERS

A flooded street is seen after Storm Ciara downpour in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, Britain February 9, 2020 in this still image obtained from social media video. Courtesy of THE AFGHAN RUG SHOP/via REUTERS