Storm Malik

Storm Malik was an extratropical cyclone that caused damage throughout northern Europe. It was named by the Danish Meteorological Institute^[5] in Denmark on 28 January 2022, and lasted until 30 January 2022. It caused 2958 severe wind reports^[6] and over 800,000 power outages in multiple countries. Seven people were killed in the storm, and a total of $415 million (USD) in damages were reported.^[3]

Storm Malik

Extratropical cyclone (SSHWS)
Malik on 30 January
Type	Blizzard, Winter storm, Extratropical cyclone, Ice storm, European windstorm
Formed	28 January 2022
Duration	3 days
Dissipated	30 January 2022
Highest gust	237 kilometres per hour (147 mph; 128 kn)[1]
Lowest pressure	965[2] mb (28.50 inHg)
Tornadoes confirmed	None
Maximum snowfall or ice accretion	Unknown
Fatalities	7
Damage	$415 million (2022 USD), €382 million (2022 Euros) [3]
Power outages	810,000[4]
Areas affected	UK, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic
Part of the 2021-22 European windstorm season

Meteorological history

On 28 January 2022, Storm Malik was named by the Danish Meteorological Institute,^[7][8] after the Greenlandic name that also means "wave".^[9] In Finland and Germany, which are not part of the storm naming groups,^[5] it was named Valtteri by the Finnish Meteorological Institute,^[10][11][12] while the Free University of Berlin named the same system as Nadia.^[13] The storm lasted until January 30, after which it dissipated.

Impacts

The impact from the storm ranged from mild to severe throughout most of the continent. UK wind power generation peaked at 19.5 GW; a new record.

Fatalities

Two fatalities were reported in the United Kingdom due to Storm Malik: a 60-year-old woman in Aberdeen, Scotland and a 9-year-old boy in Staffordshire, England. Both were hit by falling trees.^[14][15] In Denmark, a 78-year-old woman died from injuries sustained when a door she opened was caught by the wind and she fell.^[16] In Germany, a person in Beelitz was killed when hit by a poster that had come loose and in Poland a person was killed when a tree fell on a moving car in Wejherowo County. In the Czech Republic, a worker died after being buried by a wall.^[4]

Injuries

Two teenagers were injured in the southern Swedish region of Scania when their car was hit by a falling tree. A child was injured when a tree crashed through the roof in Charlottenlund, Denmark, while west of Esbjerg, a moving car was hit by a large branch, resulting in three injuries.^[17][18] In Poland, a driver was injured when she drove into a downed tree near Kierzkowo, while in Tłuczewo, a person sustained arm injuries.^[19][20] In Germany, a man was injured by a falling tree in a park, in Bremen.^[21]

Damage

More than 680,000 people were left without power in Poland by the storm and in the United Kingdom around 130,000 lost power.^[4] In Sweden around 40,000 households lost power, mostly in the south.

Sweden

In the city of Malmö, many facade panels from the Turning Torso building fell. In the Västra Hamnen (The West Harbour) area a crane from a construction site got overturned and landed close to a bus stop full of people. A second crane got overturned in the city of Malmö and landed on parked cars. Another crane got overturned in the city of Södertälje south of Stockholm and landed on a hospital, but only caused slight damage to windows in the ICU section. Many trees fell throughout southern Sweden. Many trees also fell in the town of Norrtälje.

Lithuania

The storm caused damage to the Lithuanian coast as well, with local authorities calling it the "worst storm since Cyclone Anatol in 1999".^[22] The storm reached winds of 93 kilometres per hour (58 mph; 50 kn) with gusts of 125 kilometres per hour (78 mph; 67 kn). Infrastructure and protective dunes along the Curonian Spit were considerably damaged by the storm.^[23]

Denmark

20 elderly residents in Frederikssund were evacuated due to the threat of storm surges on the day of the event as a respond to the forecast of at most 1.9 meters (6.2 feet) of storm surge.^[24][25] The storm caused widespread wind damage, with several homes sustaining roof damage or having their roofs partly torn off, including the roof of a small football stadium. Several train routes were cancelled because of trees damaging powerlines.^[26] More than 2400 reports of storm damage were reported to the authorities.^[27] Highest wind gust measured was 40 meters per second, becoming the strongest windstorm to make landfall in Denmark since 2016. Severe storm surge occurred in southern Denmark, with Wadden Sea National Park recording 3.5 meters (11 feet) high storm surge.^[28]

Aftermath

See also: 2021-22 European windstorm season § Storm Corrie

The damage in the United Kingdom and Ireland by Malik was worsened by Storm Corrie, which started affecting the two countries on January 29. The following storm resulted in 118,000 power outages in Scotland, and more overall damage.^[29]

The storm's wind generated 19.5 GW in UK, the highest it's been, as of 2022.^[30]

Highest wind gust per country

Country	Gust	Location
United Kingdom	237 km/h	Cairngorms
Ireland	164 km/h	Rosslare Harbour
Denmark	155 km/h	Hvide Sande
Norway	176 km/h	Skudeneshavn
Sweden	153 km/h	Visby
Finland	145 km/h	Turku
Estonia	139 km/h	Haapsalu
Latvia	136 km/h	Kolkasrags
Lithuania	132 km/h	Alytus
Poland	146 km/h	Władysławowo
Germany	137 km/h	Großer Arber
Czechia	124 km/h	Mariánské Lázne
France	128 km/h	Blonville-sur-Mer
Belgium	96 km/h	Middelkerke
Netherlands	90 km/h	Lauwersoog

See also

• Weather of 2022
• 2021–22 European windstorm season
• Cyclone Anatol
• Beaufort scale
• Saffir–Simpson scale

References

1. "Storm Malik and storm Corrie" (PDF). MET Office. January 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
2. "European Weather map on 30-10-2022". Deutscher Wetterdienst (in German). Free University of Berlin. 30 October 2022. Archived from the original on 30 January 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
3. Q1 Global Catastrophe Recap, Aon, April 2022
4. "Storm Malik pounds Northern Europe, leaves 4 dead | DW | 30.01.2022". DW.COM. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
5. "Storm Malik named by Danish Met Service". Met Office. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
6. "European Severe Weather Database". eswd.eu. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
7. Corcoran, Sophie (28 January 2022). "Storm Malik: Rain and 80mph winds set to batter UK". www.standard.co.uk. Archived from the original on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
8. "80mph winds set to batter UK as Storm Malik sweeps in". The Independent. 28 January 2022. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
9. Christensen, C. (28 January 2022). "Efter Malik: Pas på bølgen" [After Malik: Watch out for the wave] (in Danish). EkstraBladet. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
10. "Snowstorm 'Valtteri' to Hit Finland Hard by Saturday Evening". Finland Today. 29 January 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
11. "Blizzard hits Finland: First-ever 'code red' traffic warning issued, flights cancelled". YLE. 29 January 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
12. "I didn't know earlier that Denmark (@dmidk), Sweden (@SMHIvader), and Norway (@Meteorologene) form so called northern group of European nations that name storms". Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
13. Deutscher Wetterdienst (30 January 2022). "Europe Weather Map on 2022-01-30" (in German). Free University of Berlin. Archived from the original on 30 January 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
14. "Woman killed and 110,000 homes and businesses suffer power cuts in strong winds – as second storm set to batter UK within hours". www.msn.com. Archived from the original on 30 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
15. "Storm Malik: Boy, 9, dies after tree falls during storm". BBC News. 29 January 2022. Archived from the original on 30 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
16. Wismann, I.M.L. (30 January 2022). "Kvinde dræbt i stormvejret" [Woman killed in storm] (in Danish). TV2. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
17. "Kæmpe træ rammer hus: Barn hårdt kvæstet". 30 January 2022.
18. Jeppe Bjerre Trans (29 January 2022). "Alvorligt til skade i storm-ulykke". Newsbreak. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
19. "Przed autem runęło drzewo. Ranna kobieta".
20. "Tłuczewo (Pow. Wejherowski): Drzewo przygniotło samochód. Jedna osoba zginęła, a jedna trafiła do szpitala 30.01.2022". 30 January 2022.
21. dpa/ba/jp (31 January 2022). "Sturm in Norddeutschland: So wütete Tief Nadia in Bremen und umzu – WESER-KURIER". Weser-kurier.de. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
22. "Audra gavo vardą: pajūryje padariniai bus skaičiuojami dar ne vieną dieną". KL.lt (in Lithuanian). 31 January 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
23. "Pastaroji audra pajūriui gali būti padariusi žalos panašiai kaip uraganas "Ervinas"". ve.lt (in Lithuanian). 6 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
24. https://www.tv2lorry.dk/frederikssund/kommune-evakuerer-20-borgere-foer-storm-ingen-skal-vaere-i-livsfarez ^{[bare URL]}
25. "Meteorolog: Weekendens storm kan blive historisk voldsom".
26. "Stormen Malik på Fyn: Vandstand ved Sydfyn topper først ved midnat".
27. "Færre stormskader end ventet - TV 2". 31 January 2022.
28. "Stormen Malik – en bølge af vind og vand".
29. "Storm Malik and Corrie: Thousands of homes without power after weekend storms". BBC News. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
30. Ambrose, Jillian (30 January 2022). "UK windfarms generate record amount of electricity during Storm Malik". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 January 2022.

External links