Eunice makes list of worst storms since 1970

Storm Eunice has made the list of the worst storms since 1970 and may be the fifth heaviest storm, Weer.nl reports.

The list is organized based on storm numbers. The storm of Jan. 25, 1990 tops the list, followed by storms from 1976, 1990 and 1972. The storms of Jan. 18, 2007 and Oct. 27, 2002 come in fifth and sixth on the list, while the severe storm of Jan. 18, 2018 is number eight.

Eunice’s storm number might not be far from the storms of 2007 and 2002, according to Weer.nl. There’s even a chance Eunice could make it to the fifth spot on the list and replace the 2007 storm. If that happens, it would be the worst storm since February 1990.

The Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute (KNMI) calculates the storm number based on the measured wind speeds and gusts at various weather stations. In some places in the country, Storm Eunice's hourly average was a wind force 10, a force equivalent to a severe storm.

An interesting characteristic of Eunice is that the highest wind gust measured did not occur on the coast, but over land. In Cabauw in Utrecht, the wind even reached a gust of more than 145 kilometers per hour. This is remarkable, since the strongest gusts would usually occur on the coast.