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

LONDON (AP) — 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.

A gust of 115 mph (185 kilometers per hour) was recorded on Cairngorm Summit in the Scottish Highlands as the national meteorological service warned of winds up to 80 mph (128 kph) in northern Scotland and 55 mph (88 kph) in northern England and Northern Ireland. There was also an ice and snow warning for the Shetland Islands, where schools were closed.

The storm struck as travelers took to the roads, rails and skies to get ahead of holiday traffic expected to peak Friday.

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.

The storm was expected to reach southern Sweden on Thursday evening with a thunderstorm, heavy snowfall and poor visibility across the region, the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute said.

In Germany, national railway...