Forecasts warned there could be gusts as strong as 180 km/h there overnight. But these tips from residents on how to fight off gloom and spread joy could help.

(29.12.2019)   With Christmas celebrations at an end and winter well underway, many people in Germany feel the weather weighing on their spirits.

In Ireland, part of an opening ceremony celebrating the city of Galway as one of Europe's 2020 cultural capitals was also "canceled in the interests of public safety," organizers said.The storm has two names because there isn't yet a pan-European system in place for labeling weather systems. Waters rose rapidly in Mytholmroyd (pictured) in England's north, after the River Calder burst its banks. "We've mobilized and doubled all our forces in every region," a DB spokesman said, adding that personnel were prepared to respond to destroyed power lines and fallen trees. Trains are cancelled until at least 1000 (0900 UTC) on Monday.A sold-out Bundesliga match between Borussia Mönchengladbach and Cologne was canceled in the western city of Cologne. Authorities warned that the Storm Sabine, which approached from the Atlantic Ocean, would bring hurricane-strength winds of up to 120 kilometers (75 miles) per hour, heavy rain and thunderstorms to parts of the continent.The German Meteorological Service (DWD) said Sabine was expected to batter the country's northwest from mid-morning Sunday, and then gradually travel south across central Germany towards Bavaria. Storm Sabine, or Ciara as it's called outside of Germany, brought down trees and powerlines as it lashed parts of northern Europe. You can't think: 'It's Monday morning, the front has passed.' (18.09.2019) The water level in the morning rose as much as 1.70 to 1.80 meters (up to 6 feet) above normal, flooding Wismar's historic city center. Strange footage shoted by GLOBALTREK, Germany, near by cologne, 09.Feb.2020, 17:30. More than 150 millimeters (5.9 inches) of rain fell in a 24-hour period in northwest England's Lake District national park.The rough weather also brought down trees and power lines, leaving around 30,000 homes without electricity. "We expect that there will be heavy gusts of wind in the lowlands, or even hurricane-strength gusts in the low mountain ranges and also in the Alps. Authorities warned millions of people in the affected countries to stay indoors. Thunderstorms and torrential rain have wreaked havoc in the fire-devastated states of New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. The storm caused fishermen in Greifswald in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to suspend their activities. The national rail company has advised passengers not to travel by train for the time being.Huge waves forced the English port of Dover to shut down operations, and ferries across the region were also halted.

"Because of the current developments and increasingly powerful winds we have decided to progressively suspend all long-distance traffic across Germany from 1800 [1700 UTC]," DB said.

Around 180 flight departures and arrivals — about 15% of scheduled flights — were canceled at Frankfurt Airport, a spokeswoman for the airport operator Fraport said, adding that 130 flights scheduled for Monday had already been canceled. On the same day, around 150 flights to and from Frankfurt Airport were cancelled, according to its operator Fraport. The storm has since eased significantly.The storm also left several parts of the city of Lübeck in neighboring Schleswig-Holstein state inundated. The storm has two names because there isn't yet a pan-European system in place for labeling weather systems.

Photos: Storm Sabine wreaks havoc across northern Europe Storm surge. We use cookies to improve our service for you. The storm also battered the city of Wimeureux and other parts of northern France, where parks, cemeteries and outdoor markets were closed. Flights were also affected in the cities of Hamburg, Berlin, Hannover, Dortmund, Cologne and Stuttgart. In the Vosges mountains, wind speeds of up to 140 kmh were expected. Authorities warned against going into forests and parking cars under trees.The port of Calais was closed due to dangerous swell.Winds of 100 kmh were recorded just after midday in the Netherlands, and were expected to pick up to 140 kph later.Locals have been told to leave their infamous caravans at home, while the national football association canceled all games in its professional leagues on Sunday.

Propelled by wind from the storm, a British Airways plane was thought to have made the fastest New York-to-London flight made by a conventional airliner, completing the 3,500 mile journey in just four hours and 56 minutes.Winds have knocked over trees and other heavy objects, causing damage to vehicles and disrupting traffic.

All schools were closed on Monday in Luxembourg and the western German city of Cologne.National rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) said it would cancel long-distance trains nationwide as a result of the storm. Dozens of events were called off as a result of the weather, including the Premier League football match between Manchester City and West Ham, and a German soccer league game between Borussia Mönchengladbach and Cologne. Authorities issued widespread weather warnings in the south German states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, which were expected to experience some of the worst of the bad weather. Britain and Ireland — where the storm is named Ciara — were hit by heavy rain Sunday morning as a strong winter storm began making its way across northern Europe.In Scotland, the roof of a pub collapsed under the downpour, injuring three. British Airways has offered to rebook affected passengers' flights.

Storm Sabine disrupts flights and trains in Germany 2 Min Read People wait inside the main railway station of Cologne as trains are cancelled due to storm Sabine in Cologne, Germany, February 9, 2020. On Friday, the federal government in Berlin warned citizens of “dangerous weather conditions” on Sunday and Monday.