CEDIM Forensic Disaster Analysis Group (FDA): Winter storm series: Ylenia, Zeynep, Antonia (int: Dudley, Eunice, Franklin) - February 2022 (NW & Central Europe)

Over a period of about a week, a series of powerful low-pressure systems swept across northwestern Europe and northern Central Europe. The wind fields of the very intense low pressure systems particularly affected the south of Ireland and England, northern Belgium, the Netherlands, the northern half of Germany, and the southwestern Baltic Sea region. Gale-force winds were recorded in many places, and even inland the wind reached speeds of more than 118 kph in places. The Needles station on the Isle of Wight possibly set a new wind speed record for England with as much as 196 kph. New peak wind speeds for the month of February were also recorded at some stations in Germany. These extraordinary wind speeds were most likely caused by a so-called sting jet. Hundreds of thousands of people were affected by power outages, and there were also considerable restrictions, particularly on rail services, which were completely shut down in some regions. Hamburg recorded a very severe storm surge for the first time since 2013, with water levels exceeding 3.5 meters above mean high tide. The hurricane-force low pressure systems claimed several lives and caused major property damage, which initial estimates put at more than 1 billion euros for Germany alone.