"Cyclone Christian" redirects here. Not to be confused withCyclone Chris. For the 2021 windstorm of the same name, seeStorm Athina.For the 2025 tropical cyclone, seeCyclone Jude.
Cyclone Christian St. Jude storm
Christian making landfall in Denmark on 28 October 2013.
TheSt. Jude storm, also known asCyclone Christian,[2] and other names, was a severehurricane-forceEuropean windstorm that hit Northwestern Europe on 27 and 28 October 2013 causing at least 17 deaths. The highest windspeed was inDenmark, where a gust of 194.4 km/h (120.8 mph) was recorded in the south of the country (inAls) on the afternoon of 28 October, the strongest wind recorded in the country's history.[3]
Satellite image 26 October 2013 at 1012 UTC showing the position of the St. Jude Storm (Storm Christian) forming over Northern Atlantic. At the top of the image, the low pressure "Burkhard".
Although it was reported that the storm was named by a clerk at the UK'sMet Office,[4] the Met Office themselves have stated that they do not know who named the storm.[5][6] The storm was named by theWeather Channel UK meteorologist Leon Brown, after the feast of SaintJude the Apostle, which takes place on 28 October, the day when the storm was expected to be at its height.[7][8] The name is reported to have been popularised onTwitter before being adopted by themedia in the United Kingdom.[8]
A depression formed off the east coast of theUnited States and headed east, assisted by thejet stream.[13] The St. Jude storm formed in the western Atlantic as a secondary low on the southern flanks of an area of low pressure to the east of southern Greenland; thisIcelandic Low was named "Burkhard" by the Free University of Berlin.[14] The St. Jude storm formed from a wave front on 26 October in the northwest Atlantic off theEastern seaboard of North America.[15] The developing low moved under the jet stream passing by the remnants ofex-tropical storm Lorenzo situated in the mid Atlantic.[15][16] The tropical air from this storm provided an input of energy,[17] strengthening the jetstream, and helping to intensify the deepening of the low in an area closer to Europe than usual. This, together with a strong jet stream, led to a rapid deepening of the St. Jude low before it hit western Europe as a strengthening storm.[citation needed] The storm has been cited as both meeting and not meeting the strict criteria ofexplosive deepening.[18][19] The storm system was swept across the Atlantic at a rapid pace moving eastwards with an average speed of 77 km/h (48 mph), and crossed over 2,000 km (1,200 mi) in less than 26 hours.[20]
Across southern England two zones of strong winds were noted, the first ahead of the storm that battered thesouth coast, and a second zone that struckEast Anglia and theSouth East as the storm passed over into theNorth Sea. This second zone of winds has been identified by meteorologists as potentially being asting jet, an area where wind speeds are enhanced by cooled air rapidly descending from high in the storm.[21][22] The storm developed as a baroclinic leaf over England.[22] Over 20 hours between 27 October at 18:00 UTC and 28 October 14:00 UTC the central pressure of the storm dropped by 22 hPa (0.65 inHg).[17] The storm intensified as it crossed the North Sea with the central pressure dropping to an estimated 965 mb (28.5 inHg), the lowest land-based pressure of 967.6 mb (28.57 inHg) was recorded atThyboron,Denmark.[20] The low pressure centre of the storm reachedFinland at 01:00 UTC 29 October having only filled to 970 mb (29 inHg).[20]
On theÎle d'Ouessant, Finistère, France, a gust of 133 km/h (83 mph) was recorded.[25] On the Dutch coast and in theIJsselmeer, gusts of 90 to 130 km/h (56 to 81 mph) were recorded.[26]
The storm was the strongest in theNetherlands since theBurns Day storm of 1990, with windgusts measuring speeds between 140 and 150 km/h (87 and 93 mph) atWadden Sea.[27]
Two private weather recording stations on the German islands ofBorkum andHeligoland both recorded a possible low-elevation national wind speed record of 191 km/h (119 mph) on 28 October, with maximum sustained winds of 130 km/h (81 mph) which are as yet unverified by the German weather service.[20]
A gust of 194.4 km/h (120.8 mph) was recorded in southernDenmark, the strongest wind recorded in the country's history,[3] however theDanish Meteorological Institute is convinced that the1999 storm had even higher wind speeds, but different methods and faulty equipment meant that recordings were less than in 2013.[28]
Loop of meteorological surface map of the trajectory of Cyclone Christian from 25 to 29 October 2013
The storm was first forecast in the week before it occurred, with the Met Office supercomputer modelling the storm four days before it even formed.[29] Initial predictions, broadcast on 24 October, were that the south coast would be affected. A later forecast was that the storm would pass over theUnited Kingdom on a more northerly track, affecting all areas south of theMidlands.[30] Predictions were for 20–40 mm (0.79–1.57 in) of rain, with wind speeds of 130 km/h (80 mph) falling in a period of six to nine hours.[13] These were later updated, with winds ofForce 11 predicted.[31]
The Met Office issued "Amber – be prepared" warnings on 24 October for the storm along the south coast of England, with a "Yellow – be aware" warning extending up to theMidlands.[32] Warnings up to the Midlands were upgraded to amber on 25 October.[33]
The forecast storm was widely reported in the British press on 25 October, with comparisons being made to theGreat Storm of 1987 and theBurns' Day Storm of 1990.[34] AMet Office spokeswoman said the 1990 storm, when damaging winds affected a larger area of the UK, was a better comparison than the 1987 storm, though in fact the great storm of 1987 did actually affect a similar swathe of England when matched with this storm.[35] Later projections predicted the storm to have a severity more like storms inOctober 2000,January 2007, andMarch 2008.[36] Forecasters in the UK latterly thought the storm would affect England in a similar manner to the storm of27–28 October 2002.[citation needed]Michael Fish, who made an infamous error in forecasting the Great Storm of 1987, wrote that he felt that people should delay theirjourney to work because of the storm.[37] The Met Office received praise for the accuracy of its forecast.[38][39]
The worst damage was caused by trees being brought down by the wind (as many had still not yet dropped their leaves) falling onto buildings, cars and powerlines.[44] Overall structural damage to residential and commercial buildings was limited in the United Kingdom, with most damage to roofs, cladding and glazing.[44] Many insurance claims were expected for food in freezers which defrosted after power outages.[44]
Some of the more notable incidents in the United Kingdom included: InEssex, thehelter-skelter onClacton Pier was blown down and theorangutan enclosure atColchester Zoo suffered roof damage.[45][46] In London, a crane collapsed on top of theCabinet Office, closingWhitehall betweenHorse Guards Avenue andParliament Square.[47] A second crane collapsed in South East London, closing theOld Kent Road,[48] both cranes were the same model and an investigation was subsequently launched by the manufacturer and theHealth and Safety Executive.[49][50] Construction sites across London were in lock-down during the storm, Francis Road inLeyton saw one-hundred-metre-long (330 ft) two storey scaffold collapse and inMayfair'sBerkeley Square another large scaffold collapsed.[51] InHounslow, London, two people were killed when a gas explosion destroyed three houses and damaged two after the storm blew a tree down.[52] InIpswich, Suffolk, the high winds ripped exterior cladding off buildings overlooking the marina, with brick walls and hoardings also being brought down leading to road closures.[53] Adouble-decker bus with two passengers on board was blown over nearHadleigh,Suffolk.[54]
Damage in Belgium was relatively limited.[55] Fifteen people were evacuated from their homes when scaffolding collapsed inMerksemAntwerp, damaging cars parked below.[55][56] Scaffolding inOstend was also brought down during the storm.[55] A high sided truck loaded with chocolate was blown over on theEuropean route E34 between Antwerp and Germany shedding its contents on the road and causing delays. Elsewhere inFlanders the coastal town ofNieuwpoort saw strong gusts damage two marquees which had been hosting the International Boat Show, despite being weighted down with large concrete blocks the damage was estimated at more than €200,000.[55][57] InBrussels a large banner on theEuropean Commission'sBerlaymont building was ripped to shreds by the winds.[58] Also in Brussels, a section of theorbital ring road was closed after road signs were brought down by high winds.[55]
The record for the highest gust in the country (for the month of October) was broken three times, with a 148.2-kilometre-per-hour (92.1 mph) gust measured inTexel,North Holland, a 151-kilometre-per-hour (94 mph) gust onVlieland,Friesland, and the strongest gust of 152 km/h (94 mph) at Lauwersoog,De Marne inGroningen.[59] Vlieland sustained winds ofForce 11 for one hour, and Force 12 winds for at least 20 minutes. Two people were killed, a woman inAmsterdam and a man inVeenendaal, while at least 25 others were injured.[60]
Widespread damage was reported throughout the country, with thousands of trees falling down and damaging cars, gas lines, buildings, and causing disruption to transport. In Amsterdam, hundreds of trees were uprooted, destroying cars and sinking at least one houseboat on the city's canals. Roofs were blown off buildings and debris caused much of the city'stram services to come to a halt, while buses experienced heavy delays and the subway system was reportedly overcrowded.Amsterdam Centraal railway station was closed due to storm damage, and there was virtually no rail traffic in and around the city for most of the day, leaving thousands of travellers stranded.KLM cancelled 47 flights out ofSchiphol airport, while many others experienced heavy delays. Municipal authorities closed most of the city's parks in addition to theArtis zoo, and several remained closed a day after the storm's passage, including theVondelpark andAmstelpark. A photograph circulating onTwitter showed aferris wheel in central Amsterdam that appeared to be damaged but it turned out to be a planned demolition by the owners.[61]
Uploaded recordings of the storm in the Netherlands included a cyclist in Amsterdam narrowly escaping a falling tree at Haarlemmerplein,[62] and video of a house roof being damaged by the high winds inDokkum,Friesland.[63]
ThePort of Rotterdam was closed for all shipping on 28 October, while theDFDS-ownedKing Seaways ferry with 1,080 people on board coming fromNewcastle was forced to abandon docking atIJmuiden and return to sea to wait the storm out.[64][65]
On 29 October Forest Service authorities warned people not to venture into forested areas for the next few days, as many trees were weakened and together with falling branches represented a danger to people's lives.[66] Initial damage estimates exceeded 95 million Euros and were expected to rise even further, as they only included individuals' reports and not damage done to the agricultural or public sector.[67] More than 10,000 emergency calls were made throughout the Netherlands during the day, with Amsterdam having the highest total of 366.[68]
InGöttingen, also in Lower Saxony, part of the façade of a building of the city'suniversity was brought down by storm gusts onto empty parked cars.[74][75]
In Denmark, TheLyngby railway station was damaged. Trees were blown down in almost every part of the country and car accidents were also caused by the storm. A roof inHaderslev in southern region of Denmark landed on an elderly woman. A man died after being hit by a brick from a fallen house. The day after, 29 October a man was killed after he crashed into a fallen tree on the road.[76] In Copenhagen areas of the main shopping streetStrøget, were closed by police due to the danger of falling scaffolding in the wind, also in the city a 17-storey crane was toppled in Bryggen.[77] InFaaborg, the Åstrup Møllewindmill had two sails blown off.[78] Train operating companyDSB rail said it expected damages to total at least five millionkroner, possibly up to 10 million kroner with 25 damaged trains needing to be repaired.[79] The track and signal operatorBanedanmark said 500 trees had fallen on the lines in the country and expected its damages to total between five and seven million kroner from the storm.[79]
The strongest wind gust of 33.2 m/s (120 km/h; 74 mph) was recorded on the Estonian island ofVilsandi on 29 October.[80] Some 160,000 customers were without power during the storm's passage and many houses and forests were damaged.
Both nuclear power reactors atDungeness B were shut down due to weather-related circumstances, with operatorEDF Energy expecting generation on the site to be off for seven days after power to the site was cut, and the reactors shut down safely in response.[citation needed]
TheNorNed HVDC connector between Norway and the Netherlands was put out of action following the destruction of the converter station roof in the Netherlands, the connection was not expected to be restored until 15 November. The outage lowered Nordic energy prices as Norway's ability to export surplus electricity was reduced.[83]
Swedish energy companies reported that 66,000 people were without electricity at 03:00 on 29 October.[86]
In Finland, thousands of people were without electricity in the south and southwest, but the storm was less severe than expected, with the strongest winds passing to the south of the country throughEstonia.[87]
In Estonia, 160,000 customers were without power during the storm's passage,[88] withPärnu county andSaaremaa worst hit.[89] Latvian energy companyLatvenergo lent technical assistance toEesti Energia, helping to restore energy in the south of the country.[90]
InLatvia 2000 households were left without power and three towns with a population of 68,000.[citation needed] 1000 power line support beams were replaced in four days.[90]
In Denmark,Copenhagen Airport closed for all departures and arrivals for a while Monday evening, beside several delays and cancellations.
In Germany,Hamburg Airport several flights were cancelled or were diverted toHannover airport, about 151 km (94 mi) south of Hamburg, beside several delays and cancellations.[95]
Southern announced that it was highly unlikely to run any service before 09:00 on 28 October.
South West Trains cancelled all trains due to depart before 08:00 of 28 October, and warned of delays as those trains running would be restricted to 50 miles per hour (80 km/h).[36] It also warned people not to travel on 28 October and stated that a significantly reduced timetable would be operating.[98]
Transport for London reported that services on sixTube lines were affected on account of debris on the tracks.[47]
International
Eurostar cancelled all trains due to depart before 07:00UTC,[98] and warned of delays as those trains running would do so at a reduced speed.[36]
Thalys trains between Belgium and the Netherlands were diverted off the high-speed lines, leading to delays of two hours.[99]
Belgium
Trains in Belgium were severely delayed, with 60 percent of them arriving late. The average delay was 15 minutes, with 20 percent of trains being delayed by more than the average.[99]
Nederlandse Spoorwegen had suspended all traintraffic from 11:00 around Amsterdam, as later also the whole northern part of the Netherlands. During the end of the morning, as also most of the afternoon, these areas had no railway services. Two trains hit fallen trees on the railway and were heavily damaged. At many railways trees had collapsed and major delays occurred till the late hours.[101] All trains north ofZwolle,Overijssel were suspended.[102]
Public transport inAmsterdam, provided by GVBGemeentelijk Vervoerbedrijf, suspended its trams and ferries. Also many buses had major delays due to damage by the storm. Services resumed later the same evening.[103]
Denmark
Trains inDenmark were cancelled. Trees on the tracks was the major reason.[104]
The station building atLyngby railway station was damaged as the roof of a nearby building was blown off, landing on the station. All services through the station were suspended, with the station not due to be reopened before 1 November.[105]
Sweden
Swedish authorities (Trafikverket) cancelled traffic on a few small lines in Sweden that are prone to be seriously affected by strong winds, the announcement being made one day in advance.[106] On the 28th, main lines in South-West Sweden were also closed to avoid having passengers stranded out on the lines. The closure was a preemptive action.
Russia
Tramway and trolleybus transport networks ofSaint Petersburg were stopped for almost two hours.[107]
In theBaltic Sea, aStena Line passenger ferry with 33 staff on board was driven by high winds to ground: theStena Alegra anchored outside the Swedish port ofKarlskrona. The 89-metre-long (292 ft) bulk carrierR:tterdam's anchor was uprooted, but managed to weigh anchor again.[118]
One hundred people were evacuated from the Siri oil platform in the North Sea.[119]
AtNewhaven, East Sussex, a 14-year-old boy was swept out to sea on 27 October.[123] The search for him, involving theNewhaven LifeboatDavid and Elizabeth Acland and aCoastguard helicopter, was called off at 21:45 on 27 October.[124] A man died inWatford,Hertfordshire when a tree fell on his car.[125] InHever, Kent, a 17-year-old girl died after the storm blew a tree onto thestatic caravan in which she was living.[23] InHounslow, London, two people were killed when a gas explosion destroyed three houses and damaged two after the storm blew a tree down.[52]
InAmsterdam, a woman died after a tree fell on her at theHerengracht. A tree that fell on a taxi severely injured the male passenger inside.[126] A 22-year-old man was severely injured inVeenendaal when he was struck by a tree branch, and he died later in the hospital.[127]
InCologne, a sailor died on 27 October when his boat capsized.[128] A fisherman died in a separate incident. On 28 October, two people, a mother and child, were killed inGelsenkirchen when an uprooted tree fell on their car.[74][129] A Flensburg newspaper reported the death of a German male inFlensburg, hit by a falling tree.[130] The German media claimed at least 8 dead.[131]
A 21-year-old man who was taking pictures inGilleleje near Copenhagen was killed by flying tiles.[132] A man was found dead in his car inHolbæk after his car had crashed into a fallen tree.[133]
The track of the St. Jude storm across Europe took it over densely populated areas of southern England and the Netherlands, impacting on its route the major cities of London, the DutchRandstad, Hamburg and Copenhagen, which could indicate a high level of insured exposure.[134]
Immediately following the passage of the storm in the United Kingdom, a surge of calls to insurance groups led to companies drafting in additional staff to handle claims and assess damage.[135] Many of the larger insurers also found that their share price fell as investors feared the potential financial costs the storm could bring to the companies,[135] although theFinancial Times reported that shares in UK insurers were trading at a level broadly similar to the wider market during the morning of 28 October.[136]
Willis Re estimated the total costs to the insurance industry of the storm were likely to range between £300 million and £500 million in the UK on 29 October 2013. The executive director said the damage was comparable to windstormKyrill, which struck in 2007 and according to data from theAssociation of British Insurers would have incurred costs of £370 million in 2013.[137] In an update released on 4 November Willis Re stated they expected losses to be lower than their initial estimates in the UK, and estimated Europe-wide losses to be between €800m and €1.3bn (£677m and £1.1bn).[138] The catastrophe modelling company AIR Worldwide estimated on 7 November that they expected European losses to be higher at between 1.5 and 2.3 Euros.[44][139]
Perils AG, the independent reporting agency established to aggregate and provide the insurance industry with catastrophe insurance data,[140] launched an investigation into the storm.[141] The initial estimate of damages from the storm were published on 6 December at €994 million, later updated to €1,068 million on 27 January 2014. The third estimate of €1,091 million was released on 28 April 2014.[142]
In the United Kingdom 3,110 homes were still without power on 1 November mostly in the east of England, withSuffolk being the worst-hit area of the country.[143]UK Power Networks said the storm caused extensive damage to overhead power lines, forcing it to draft in more than 1,000 specialist engineers.[143] By the afternoon of 1 November only 100 homes were without power.[81]National Gridestimated that two gigawatts (2000 MW) of wind power generation was lost during 24 hours as the St. Jude storm passed over the UK (turbines shut down during very high winds as a safety precaution), generation by fuel type during the storm was 10.5 percent wind, 40 percent coal and 23 percent gas fired, which a spokesman said was typical for a windy day.[144] UK Power Networks theDistribution network operator in theEast of England, London and parts ofSouth East England paid 13,000 eligible customers compensation totalling £1,134,000 as a result of power outages lasting longer than 48 hours due to the storm.[145]
In Estonia the tabloidÕhtuleht was critical of the government ownedEesti Energia following the storm damage to the countries' electricity infrastructure. The newspaper questioned if the company was investing enough in the domestic power grid, especially in rural areas.[146] The director of Elektrilevi, the power distribution subsidiary of Eesti Energia announced that 80 percent of Estonia would be covered by a weatherproof grid by 2025.[147]
Florence Welch wrote a song about the personal struggles she was experiencing around the time the storm hit Britain. She said that she felt as if a huge storm were following her, both physically and mentally.
^ When a windmill istailwinded, the wind is blowing from the rear of the mill. Afantail cannot turn the cap to face into wind, and the cap may be lifted and/or blown off.[148]
^"Tijdlijn van de herfststorm" [Timeline of the autumn storm].De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 27 October 2013. Archived fromthe original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved27 October 2013.
Railway damage in Denmark
Germany
United Kingdom
Netherlands
Denmark
France
Ireland
Belgium
Luxembourg
Norway
Sweden
Åland
Finland
Estonia
