Strong winds from Storm Pia disrupt holiday travel in the UK as Eurostar hit by unexpected strike

High winds from Storm Pia on Thursday grounded flights in parts of the U.K., suspended train service and stopped Scottish ferries in a preview of holiday travel disruptions likely to hit northern Europe as the storm moved east. Meanwhile, in a development unrelated to weather, a surprise strike by French workers added to the travel chaos by shutting down Eurostar trains between London and Paris, leaving thousands of travelers stranded. Powerful gusts knocked out power to tens of thousands of homes in northern England, toppled a truck on a highway in Manchester, tore part of the roof off an apartment building in Sheffield and — in a bit of good news — helped generate a record amount of electricity. As wind warnings expired Thursday afternoon, the storm bore down on Europe and was expected to bring similar troubles there. Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport warned that “a significant number of flights” would be delayed or canceled due to the high winds. Dutch authorities closed a number of storm barriers on major rivers as a precaution due to high water levels.<br/>