European windstorm

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European windstorm

A European windstorm is a severe cyclonic

Cyclone

In meteorology, a cyclone refers to an area of closed, circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth's rotation. This is usually characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate counter clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth....
windstorm associated with areas of low pressure that track across the North Atlantic towards northwestern Europe

Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
. They are most common in the winter months. Deep low pressure areas are relatively common over the over North Atlantic and frequently track past the north coast of the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
onto the Norwegian Sea

Norwegian Sea

The Norwegian Sea is part of the North Atlantic Ocean northwest of Norway, located between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea.It adjoins the Iceland Sea to the west and the Barents Sea to the northeast....
. However, when they veer south they can affect almost any country in Europe.

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Encyclopedia

A European windstorm is a severe cyclonic

Cyclone

Europe

United Kingdom

Norwegian Sea

United Kingdom

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
, but basically any country in central, northern and especially western Europe is occasionally struck by such a storm system.

These storms cause economic damage of €1.9 billion per year, and insurance losses of €1.4 billion per year (1990-1998). They rank as the second highest cause of global natural catastrophe insurance loss (after U.S. hurricanes).

Several European languages use the word Ouragan or cognates thereof to indicate particularly strong European windstorms. "Ouragan" derives from the Mayan god Huracan

Huracan

Huracan was a Maya mythology weather god of wind, storm, fire and one of the creator deities who participated in all three attempts at creating humanity....
, also the source of the word hurricane.

List

Historic and notorious European storms

Event	Date	Notes
Grote Mandrenke Grote Mandrenke The Grote Mandrenke was the name of a massive southwesterly Atlantic gale which swept across England, the Netherlands, northern Germany, and Schleswig around January 16 1362, causing at minimum 25,000 deaths....	January 161362	A southwesterly Atlantic gale swept across England, the Netherlands, northern Germany and southern Denmark, killing over 25,000 and changing the Dutch-German-Danish coastline.
Burchardi Flood Burchardi flood The Burchardi Flood, was a Storm tides of the North Sea that struck the North Sea coast of Nordfriesland on the night between the 11 October and 12 October 1634....	October 11-October 12, 1634	Also known as "second Grote Mandrenke", hit Nordfriesland Nordfriesland Nordfriesland, English "Northern Friesland" or "North Frisia", is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It includes almost all of traditional North Frisia along with adjacent areas to the east and south and is bounded by the districts of Schleswig-Flensburg and Dithmarschen, the North Sea and the Denmark county of South Jutland.... , drowned about 8,000-15,000 people and destroyed the island of Strand Strand (island) Strand was an island on the west coast of Nordfriesland in modern Germany. It was destroyed by the Burchardi flood of 1634 splitting into the islands Nordstrand, Germany, Pellworm, and Nordstrandischmoor.... .
Great Storm of 1703 Great Storm of 1703 The Great Storm of 1703 is arguably the most severe European windstorm or natural disaster ever recorded in the southern part of Great Britain. It affected southern England and the English Channel....	November 26, 1703	Severe gales affect south coast of England.
Night of the Big Wind Night of the Big Wind The Night of the Big Wind was a severe European windstorm which swept across Ireland on the night of January 6 - January 7, 1839 causing severe damage to property and several hundred deaths....	January 6-January 7, 1839	The most severe windstorm to hit Ireland in recent centuries, with hurricane force winds, killed between 250 and 300 people and rendered hundreds of thousands of homes uninhabitable.
The Tay Bridge Disaster Tay Bridge disaster The Tay Bridge disaster occurred on 28 December 1879, when the first Tay Rail Bridge, which crossed the Firth of Tay between Dundee and Wormit in Scotland, collapsed during a violent storm while a train was passing over it....	December 28, 1879	Severe gales (estimated to be Force 10-11) swept the east coast of Scotland, infamously resulting in the collapse of the Tay Rail Bridge and the loss of 75 people who were on board the ill-fated train.
Eyemouth Disaster Eyemouth Disaster The Eyemouth disaster was a severe European windstorm that struck the southern coast of Scotland, specifically Berwickshire, on 14 October 1881....	October 14, 1881	A severe storm struck the southeast coast of Scotland. 189 fishermen were killed, most of whom were from the small village of Eyemouth.

Severe European windstorms between 1900 and 1999

Event	Date	Notes
North Sea Flood of 1953 North Sea flood of 1953 The North Sea flood of 1953 and the associated storm combined to create a major natural disaster which affected the coastlines of the Netherlands and England on the night of 31 January ? 1 February 1953....	January 31, 1953-February 1, 1953	Considered to be the worst natural disaster of the 20th century both in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, claiming over two thousand lives altogether. A storm originating over Ireland moved around the Scottish west coast, over Orkney, down the east coast of Scotland and England and across the North Sea to the Netherlands. Sea defences in the Netherlands and eastern England were overwhelmed. The ferry MV Princess Victoria MV Princess Victoria The MV Princess Victoria sank on 31 January 1953 in the North Channel with the loss of 133 lives. This was the deadliest maritime disaster in United Kingdom waters since World War II.... , travelling between Scotland and Northern Ireland, was lost with 153 lives onboard, as was more than a quarter of the Scottish fishing fleet. In the Netherlands, flooding killed 1,835 people and forced the emergency evacuation of 70,000 more as sea water inundated 1.365 km² of land. An estimated 30,000 animals drowned, and 47,300 buildings were damaged of which 10,000 were destroyed. Total damage was estimated at that time at 895 million Dutch guilders.
1961 Ex-Hurricane Debbie	September 17, 1961	Much of Scotland and the Northern Isles hit by severe gales, which were the residuals of Atlantic Hurricane Debbie 1961 Atlantic hurricane season The 1961 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1961, and lasted until November 15, 1961. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin.... .
Sheffield Windstorm	February 16, 1962	South Yorkshire South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of List of ceremonial counties of England by population.... (Northern England). The city experienced winds of at least 65 knots Knot (speed) The knot is a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour. Its kn abbreviation is preferred by American and Canadian maritime authorities, and by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; however, the kt and kts abbreviations also are used.... with reported gusts of 80 knots or more. These high wind speeds were very localised on the city area, possibly due to extreme lee-wave enhancement of the airflow downwind of the Pennines.
North Sea flood of 1962 North Sea flood of 1962 The North Sea flood of 1962 was a natural disaster affecting mainly the coastal regions of Germany and in particular the city of Hamburg in the night from February 16 to February 17, 1962....	February 17, 1962	The above mentioned storm had moved south-east and reached the German coast of the North Sea with wind speeds up to 200 km/h. The accompanied storm surge Storm surge Storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure area weather system, typically a tropical cyclone. Storm surge is caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface.... combined with high tide Tide Tides are the rising of Earth's ocean surface caused by the tidal forces of the Moon and the Sun acting on the oceans. Tides cause changes in the depth of the marine and estuary water bodies and produce oscillating currents known as tidal streams, making prediction of tides important for coastal navigation .... pushed water up the Weser and Elbe Elbe The River Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It originates in the Krkonose Mountains of northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Germany and flowing into the North Sea.... , breaching dikes and caused extensive flooding, especially in Hamburg Hamburg Hamburg is the second-largest city in Germany , and is the Largest cities of the European Union by population within city limits. The city is home to approximately 1.8 million people, while the Hamburg metropolitan area has more than 4.3 million inhabitants.... . 315 people were killed, around 60,000 were left homeless.
1968 Hurricane	January 15, 1968	This storm tracked north up the west coast of Scotland. In Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and List of largest United Kingdom settlements by population in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's Scottish Lowlands.... , some 20 people were killed and 2,000 people made homeless, Ayrshire Ayrshire Ayrshire is a registration county, and former counties of Scotland in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine, North Ayrshire.... and Argyll Argyll Argyll, archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient D?l Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western seaboard between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath.... also affected.
?	January 11-January 12, 1974	Record winds, sometimes of hurricane force, recorded in many parts of Ireland. The strongest ever sea level gust in Ireland, at exactly 200 km/h, was recorded in Kilkeel Kilkeel Kilkeel is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the main fishing port on the Down coast, and the town?s harbour houses one of the largest fishing fleets in Ireland.... , County Down County Down County Down is one of the nine Counties of Ireland that form the province of Ulster and one of six counties that form Northern Ireland. The county forms an area of .... . Many trees and buildings were damaged and 150,000 homes were left without electricity.
Great Storm of 1987 Great Storm of 1987 The Great Storm of 1987 occurred on the night of 15 October to 16 October 1987, when an unusually strong weather system caused winds to hit much of southern England and northern France....	October 15 and 16, 1987	This storm mainly affected southeastern England England native_name =\|conventional_long_name = England\|common_name = England\|image_flag = Flag of England.svg\|image_coat = England COA.svg\|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms... and northern France France France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France.... . In England maximum mean wind speeds of 70 knots (an average over 10 minutes) were recorded. The highest gust of 117 knots was recorded at Pointe du Raz Pointe du Raz The Pointe du Raz is a Headlands and bays that extends into the Atlantic from western Brittany, in France. The local Breton language name is Beg ar Raz.... in Brittany Brittany Brittany is a former independent Celtic nations monarchy and duchy, now incorporated into France. It is also, more generally, the name of the cultural area whose limits correspond to the historic province and independent duchy.... . In all, 19 people were killed in England England native_name =\|conventional_long_name = England\|common_name = England\|image_flag = Flag of England.svg\|image_coat = England COA.svg\|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms... and 4 in France France France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France.... . 15 million trees were uprooted in England. This storm received much media attention, not so much because of its severity, but because these storms do not usually track so far south, the trees and buildings are not used to such winds (indeed, in mid-October most deciduous Deciduous Deciduous means falling off at maturity or tending to fall off and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe.... trees still have their leaves and were therefore more susceptible to windstorm damage and, following weeks of wet weather, the ground was sodden, providing little grip for the trees' roots), the severity of the storm was not forecast until approximately 3 hrs before it hit and it struck after midnight, meaning hardly anyone was warned.
	February 13, 1989	During this storm, a gust of 123 knots was recorded at the Kinnaird Kinnaird Head Kinnaird Head is a headlands and bays or promontory projecting out into the North Sea from the east coast of Scotland. The headland lies within the town of Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, at .... Lighthouse (Fraserburgh Fraserburgh Fraserburgh is a town in Aberdeenshire , Scotland with a population recorded in the United Kingdom Census 2001 at 12,454. It lies at the extreme northeast corner of Aberdeenshire, around north of Aberdeen, and north of Peterhead.... ) on the north-east coast of Scotland. This broke the highest low-level wind speed record for the British Isles. Much higher (unofficial) windspeeds have been recorded on the summit of Cairn Gorm Cairn Gorm Cairn Gorm, also commonly referred to as Cairngorm is a mountain in the Scottish Highlands overlooking Strathspey, Scotland and the town of Aviemore.... and on Unst Unst Unst is one of the North Isles of the Shetland Islands, Scotland. It is the northernmost of the inhabited British Isles and is the third largest island in Shetland after the Shetland Mainland and Yell .... in Shetland.
Burns' Day storm Burns' Day storm The Burns' Day Storm occurred on January 25–January 26, 1990, over north-western Europe, and is one of the strongest storms on record. Starting on the birthday of Scotland poet Robert Burns, it caused widespread damage and hurricane-force winds over a wide area....	January 25, 1990
New Year's Day Storm New Year's Day Storm The New Year's Day Storm was a powerful hurricane that affected much of northern Scotland and western Norway early January 1 1992. DNMI estimated the strongest sustained winds to have reached 90 knots , comparable to a Category 3 hurricane on the SSHS....	January 1, 1992	Also named Nyttårsorkanen. This affected much of northern Scotland and western Norway, unofficial records of gusts in excess of 130 knots (67 m/s) were recorded in Shetland, while Statfjord-B in the North Sea recorded wind gusts in excess of 145 knots (75 m/s). DNMI Norwegian Meteorological Institute Norwegian Meteorological Institute is the Norway national institute for weather forecasts.The three main offices are located in Oslo, Bergen and Troms? and the organization has around 500 employees and keeps around 650 paid observers of various kinds around the country.... estimated the strongest sustained winds (10 min. average) to have reached 90 knots (45 m/s), comparable to a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson-scale. Very few fatalities occurred, mainly due to the very low population of the islands and the fact that the islanders are used to very high winds.
?	January 22, 1994. On 22 and 23 January	Severe gales affected Central, Western and Northern Scotland, and the Northern Isles. A gust of 104 knots was recorded at Sumburgh Airport Sumburgh Airport Sumburgh Airport is the main airport serving Shetland Islands in Scotland. It is located on the southern tip of the Shetland Mainland, 17 nautical miles south of Lerwick.... on Shetland. Gusts were estimated to be well in excess of 100 knots at Fair Isle Fair Isle Fair Isle Scottish Gaelic Eileann nan Geansaidh is an island off Scotland, lying around halfway between Shetland and the Orkney Islands.... .
Yuma	December 24, 1997	On Christmas Eve Christmas Eve Christmas Eve, December 24, is the night before Christmas Day, which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ .... , an intense secondary depression tracked north-east across Scotland, bringing severe gales and heavy rain. The storm caused 6 fatalities, extensive structural damage and disruption to National Grid Electric power transmission Electric power transmission is the bulk transfer of electrical power , a process in the delivery of electricity to consumers. A power transmission grid typically connects power plants to multiple Electrical substation near a populated area.... . Blackpool's Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Lying along the coast of the Irish Sea, it has a population of 142,900, making it the North West England#Important cities and towns settlement in North West England behind Manchester, Liverpool and Warrington.... North Pier North Pier, Blackpool North Pier is the oldest and largest of the three coastal piers in Blackpool, England.... in north-west England England native_name =\|conventional_long_name = England\|common_name = England\|image_flag = Flag of England.svg\|image_coat = England COA.svg\|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms... was also damaged.
Désirée / Fanny	January 4, 1998	Another intense secondary depression crossed Ireland Ireland Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet.... and northern England England native_name =\|conventional_long_name = England\|common_name = England\|image_flag = Flag of England.svg\|image_coat = England COA.svg\|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms... . Severe gales also swept Wales Wales native_name = Cymru\|conventional_long_name = Wales\|common_name = Wales\|image_flag = Flag of Wales 2.svg\|national_motto = ... and southern England. Widespread structural damage and power Electric power Electric power is defined as the rate at which electrical energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt .When electric current flows in a circuit, it can transfer energy to do mechanical work or work .... outages, and flooding along rivers and coasts.
Boxing Day Storm Boxing Day Storm The Boxing Day Storm was an Atlantic Ocean wind storm that made landfall in northwest Ireland.A Great Storm on Boxing Day, with particularly strong winds across Northern Ireland and central Scotland....	December 26, 1998	Severe gales over Ireland, northern England, and southern Scotland. Winds speeds of 103 mph MPH mph is a three-letter acronym that refers to miles per hour, a measurement of speedMPH may also refer to:* Master of Public Health, a Master's degree in public health... were recorded at Prestwick airport, and 93 mph in Glasgow. Widespread disruption and power outages in Northern Ireland and southern Scotland. The Forth Road Bridge Forth Road Bridge The Forth Road Bridge is a suspension bridge in Central Belt Scotland. The bridge, built in 1964, spans the Firth of Forth, connecting the capital city Edinburgh at South Queensferry to Fife at North Queensferry.... was fully closed for the first time since its construction in 1964.
Silke (Boxing Day)	December 27, 1998	Another severe gale tracks across Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Anatol Anatol Anatol is the name given by the German Weather Service to a powerful winter storm that hit Denmark, south-west Sweden and north Germany on December 3, 1999....	December 3, 1999	Hurricane like storm Anatol hits Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries.... and neighbouring countries. Killing 7 in Denmark alone. Pressure: 952.4 hPa. Wind speeds above 85 mph (38 m/s), gusts up to 115 mph (51 m/s).
Lothar Lothar (storm) Lothar is the name of a low-pressure system that resulted in a violent extratropical cyclone sweeping across Central Europe on December 26, 1999, causing major damage in France, southern Germany, and Switzerland.... , Martin	December 26 to 28th, 1999	France, Switzerland and Germany were hit by severe storms and rain. Over 100 people were killed, and the storm caused extensive damage to property and trees and the French and German national power grids. The first storm in the series, dubbed Lothar by European forecasters, rapidly developed just off of the French coast and swept inland. Each of these systems was associated with an intense jet stream Jet stream Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow thermal winds found at the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere ,and are located at 10-15 kilometers above the surface of the Earth.... aloft and benefitted from latent heat release through atmosphere-ocean exchange processes. "Lothar" and "Martin", as the second storm was dubbed, were extratropical cyclones and had a hurricane-like shape, with an eye at the center. In the first storm, a gust of 184 km/h was recorded at Ushant (Fr. Ouessant) Ushant Ushant is an island in the English Channel which marks the north-westernmost point of European France. It belongs to Brittany and is in the traditional region of Bro-Leon.... in Brittany Brittany Brittany is a former independent Celtic nations monarchy and duchy, now incorporated into France. It is also, more generally, the name of the cultural area whose limits correspond to the historic province and independent duchy.... and in the second storm, the highest gust was of 200 km/h at Île de Ré Île de Ré ?le de R? is an island off the west coast of France near La Rochelle, on the northern side of the Pertuis d'Antioche strait.This island is completely flat; it is 30 km long and 5 km wide.... in France.

Severe European windstorms since 2000

Event	Date	Notes
Oratia	October 30, 2000	A deep area of low pressure swept across the United Kingdom bringing gusts in excess of 90mph and severe flooding to Southern England, it was the strongest system of its kind to hit the UK since the Burns Day Storm of 1990.
Dagmar	December 17, 2004	A storm generating 80 mph winds hit northern France France France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France.... , including Paris Paris Paris is the Capital of France and the country's largest city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the ?le-de-France Regions of France .... , killing 6 people and leaving thousands of homes without power.
Erwin Erwin (storm) Erwin was a powerful storm which hit Denmark and Sweden on 8 January, 2005. The name Erwin was chosen by the German Weather Service, while the storm was named Gudrun by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute.... (Gudrun)	January 8, 2005	Northern Europe was hit by the storm Erwin (German weather service), also called Gudrun by the Norwegian weather service, with sustained wind speeds of 126 km/h and wind gusts of 165 km/h. The storm caused a lot of financial damage in Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south.... , where the forest industry suffered greatly from damaged trees, as more than 7,500,000 cubic metres (9,800,000 yd³) of trees were blown down in southern Sweden. About 341,000 homes lost power in Sweden and several thousand of these were out of power for many days and even weeks in some cases, as about 10,000 homes were still without power after three weeks. The international death toll was at least 17. In the space of 6 hrs, 250 000 000 trees were blown down, and after months of hard work, lorries and drivers from across Europe eventually transported the logs to several sites across the south of Sweden. One huge site was situated on a disused airfield, stretched for 2 km, 14 metres in height, and 10 piles in width. This was only 2 % of the total logs stored, enough to create a 3m x 3m pile all the way to Australia.
Gero	January 11, 2005	On the evening of the 11th and early morning of the 12th, a ferocious gale swept across Northern Ireland and north west Scotland. Wind speeds of 134 mph (equivalent to a strong Category 3 hurricane) were recorded on North Rona and wind speeds in excess of 110 mph measured on South Uist with 105 mph on Barra in the Hebrides Outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides, comprise an Archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. The local government area is one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland.... before the automatic station stopped reporting at 17.00. Stormy seas combined with high spring tides and caused flooding in low-lying coastal areas. One fatality in Ireland and six in Scotland, including a family of five who were swept into the sea after fleeing their house on South Uist. At the height of the storm, 85,000 households in Scotland were without power. On the 13th, all Caledonian MacBrayne Caledonian MacBrayne Caledonian MacBrayne is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries between the mainland of Scotland and 22 of the major islands on Scotland's west coast.... ferry services and train services in Scotland were suspended, and many roads were closed due to fallen trees. The Forth Road Bridge Forth Road Bridge The Forth Road Bridge is a suspension bridge in Central Belt Scotland. The bridge, built in 1964, spans the Firth of Forth, connecting the capital city Edinburgh at South Queensferry to Fife at North Queensferry.... was closed for the first time since the 1998 Boxing Day Storm Boxing Day Storm The Boxing Day Storm was an Atlantic Ocean wind storm that made landfall in northwest Ireland.A Great Storm on Boxing Day, with particularly strong winds across Northern Ireland and central Scotland.... , and the Tay Tay Road Bridge The Tay Road Bridge is an important road bridge in Scotland. It crosses the Firth of Tay from Newport-on-Tay in Fife to Dundee.It is around 1.4 miles long, making it one of the longest bridges in Europe, and slopes gradually downward towards Dundee.... (Dundee Dundee Dundee is the fourth-largest City status in the United Kingdom in Scotland and, fully named as Dundee City, one of Scotland's 32 Local government in Scotland Council areas of Scotland.... ) and Friarton Friarton Bridge The Friarton Bridge is a road bridge across the Firth of Tay on the southeastern outskirts of Perth, Scotland, approximately 25 miles upstream of the Tay Road Bridge.... (Perth Perth, Scotland Perth is a town and former royal burgh in central Scotland. Sitting on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative headquarters of Perth and Kinross council area.... ) bridges were also closed to all traffic.
Renate	October 3, 2006	A powerful storm battered the south west coast of France France France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France.... with gusts of 150 km/h in the coastal areas. The storm up rooted many trees and many homes remained without power for many hours. 2 people were badly injured in a helicopter crash and 1 person died when his house was burnt down because he had to use a candle to light it.
Britta	November 2, 2006	In the afternoon of the second and in the night a storm made its way through the North Sea North Sea The North Sea is a marginal sea, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf. The Dover Strait and the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Sea in the north connect it to the Atlantic Ocean.... with gusts reaching 174 km/h in Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries.... and southern Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south.... .The countries affected were Denmark, Sweden, Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula.... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands.... and Scotland Scotland conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba\|common_name= Scotland\|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg\|flag_width = 130px... . The storm killed 15 people and detached an oil rig. It then was rescued and pulled back to safety.
Franz	January 10 and January 11, 2007	A strong depression north of Scotland Scotland conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba\|common_name= Scotland\|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg\|flag_width = 130px... brought high winds to most of the United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe.... . With a central pressure of 950mbar sustained winds exceeded 60mph and a gust of 94 mph was recorded in Benbecula Benbecula Benbecula is an island of the Outer Hebrides in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Scotland. In the 2001 census it had a usually resident population of 1,249, the majority of which are Roman Catholic.... late on 10 January. Additional hurricane force gusts were recorded in Scotland. Gale force winds were recorded in the south of the United Kingdom and in the Midlands, and gusts of over 50mph affected the entire country. Northern areas received gusts of between 60 and 90 mph. Six fatalities have been confirmed along with several injuries. Five people were killed when a trawler sank off the coast near Wexford Wexford Wexford is the county town of County Wexford in Republic of Ireland. It is situated near the south-eastern tip of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort.... , in The Republic of Ireland and another person was killed near Taunton Taunton Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the non-metropolitan county of Somerset.... , Somerset Somerset Somerset is a Counties of England in South West England. The county town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county. The Ceremonial counties of England of Somerset borders the counties of Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west.... when a tree crushed his car. Another trawler went missing. Two survivors were recovered. One woman went missing after falling overboard on a ferry near Falmouth Falmouth, Cornwall Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port in the Carrick, Cornwall District on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, UK. It has a total resident population of 21,635.... . A supermarket in Wales Wales native_name = Cymru\|conventional_long_name = Wales\|common_name = Wales\|image_flag = Flag of Wales 2.svg\|national_motto = ... had its roof damaged and residents across the United Kingdom reported other minor damage. 80,000 homes lost power in Wales. Flooding occurred in several areas, with several rivers overflowing. The Environment Agency Environment Agency The Environment Agency is a non-departmental public body of the Defra and an Assembly Sponsored Public Body of the National Assembly for Wales.... issued 59 flood warnings. The depression was named European windstorm names European windstorm names are names assigned to European windstorms by the Meteorology Institute at the Free University of Berlin. The practice was inspired by the U.S.... Franz by the Free university of Berlin. A strong jet stream Jet stream Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow thermal winds found at the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere ,and are located at 10-15 kilometers above the surface of the Earth.... was also present at the time. This system was one of several strong storms to hit the United Kingdom during the winter of 2006–2007, possibly linked to the El Niño El Niño-Southern Oscillation El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation is a global coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon. The Pacific ocean signatures, El Ni?o and La Ni?a are important temperature fluctuations in surface waters of the tropical Pacific Ocean.... event taking place at the time.
Per Per (storm) Per was the name of a powerful storm with hurricane which hit the west coast of Sweden and Norway on the morning of 14 January, 2007. In Sweden six people died from the storm and approximately 300,000 households were left without electricity.... (Hanno)	January 14, 2007	The powerful storm Per hit south-western Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south.... with wind gusts up to about 90 mph. Six people were reported dead in different storm related accidents, and thousands of trees were blown down, as well as thousands of households losing electricity. This storm also caused damage and flooding in Lithuania Lithuania Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the southernmost of the three Baltic states. Situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast to the southwest.... .
Kyrill Kyrill (storm) Kyrill is the name given to a low pressure area that evolved into an unusually violent European windstorm, forming an extratropical cyclone with hurricane-strength winds....	January 18, 2007	In the wake of Kyrill already regarded as one of the most violent and destructive storms in more than a century, storm-warnings were given for many countries in western, central and northern Europe with severe storm-warnings for some areas. Schools in particularly threatened areas had been closed by mid-day, to allow children to get home safely before the storm reached its full intensity in the late afternoon. At least 53 people were killed as violent storms lashed northern and central Europe, causing travel chaos across the region. Britain and Germany were the worst hit with eleven people killed as rain and gusts of up to 99 mph (159 km/h) swept the UK and sustained windspeeds of up to 73 mph were recorded. Thirteen people were killed in Germany, with the weather station on top of the Brocken in the Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt is one of the sixteen States of Germany that make up the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of , and a population of 2.45 million .... ian Harz Harz The Harz is a mountain range in central Germany. It is the highest mountain chain in northern Germany occupying parts of the German states of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia.... mountain range recorded wind speeds of up to 121 mph (195 km/h). Direct damage in Germany was estimated to amount to € 4.7 billion. Five people were killed during the storm in the Netherlands and 3 in France. The gusts reached 151 km/h at the cap gris nez and 130km/h in many places in north of France. In both Germany and the Netherlands the national railways were closed. At Frankfurt International Airport over 200 flights were cancelled.
Uriah	June 25 and June 26 2007	A rather unseasonal weather system brought gale force winds to the UK, but was more memorable for causing severe flooding, with many areas receiving more than a months' rainfall in a single day. The storm exacerbated existing flooding problems (caused by violent thunderstorms a week earlier) and areas such as Sheffield were worst affected. Over 102 flood warnings were issued, and by June 29 five people were dead, many areas flooded and there was severe damage to the Ulley reservoir Ulley Reservoir Ulley Reservoir is a reservoir located a few hundred metres to the west and downhill of the village of Ulley, south of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England.... ,where cracks appeared in the dam wall, causing fears that it might collapse. 700 people were evacuated from the area. Over 3000 properties were flooded across the country and more than 3,500 people were evacuated from their homes. See June 2007 United Kingdom floods
Tilo	November 7 and November 8 2007	A strong European windstorm struck Northern Scotland. All schools in Orkney were closed and hundreds of homes lost power because of the bad weather that moved across the country. Gusts as high as 90mph were reported along with early snow for the Scottish highlands. The Northlink ferry company cancelled sailings between Lerwick and Aberdeen. There were also reports of trees and roofs being blown down in the high winds. Trees were damaged by the high winds in Grampian. The combination of Northwesterly winds exceeding 60 mph, low pressure and high spring tides led authorities to believe severe flooding was inevitable in the east of England, and the order was given to close the Thames Barrier Thames Barrier Thames Barrier is a flood control structure on the River Thames, constructed between 1974 and 1982 at Woolwich Reach, and first used defensively in 1983.... . These conditions were said by many to mirror the North Sea Flood of 1953 North Sea flood of 1953 The North Sea flood of 1953 and the associated storm combined to create a major natural disaster which affected the coastlines of the Netherlands and England on the night of 31 January ? 1 February 1953.... . In the Netherlands, the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier Oosterscheldekering The Oosterscheldekering , between the islands Schouwen-Duiveland and Noord-Beveland, is the largest of the 13 ambitious Delta Works series of dams, designed to protect the Netherlands from flooding.... and the gigantic Maeslantkering Maeslantkering The Maeslantkering is a storm surge barrier in the Nieuwe Waterweg waterway located between the towns of Hoek van Holland and Maassluis, Netherlands, , which automatically closes when needed.... (sealing off the Rotterdam harbor) were closed. For the first time since 1976, the entire coastline was put on alert and under round-the-clock surveillance. The tidal surge traveling down the North Sea turned out to be too weak to cause any significant problems to the strong Dutch coastal defenses.
Paula	January 25 2008	A strong European windstorm Paula hit Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north.... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands.... , Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west.... , Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries.... , Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula.... and Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south.... . At least one person died in Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north.... . The gusts reached 165 km/h in Eastern Alps Eastern Alps Eastern Alps is the name given to the eastern half of the Alps, usually defined as the area east of the Spl?gen Pass in eastern Switzerland. North of the Spl?gen Pass, the Posterior Rhine forms the border, and south of the pass, the Liro river and Lake Como form the boundary line.... , 155 km/h in Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north.... , 150 km/h in Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula.... and 140 km/h in Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands.... .
Zizi	February 22 and February 23 2008	A strong European windstorm Zizi hit Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands.... , Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south.... , Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries.... , Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north.... , Lithuania Lithuania Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the southernmost of the three Baltic states. Situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast to the southwest.... , Latvia Latvia Latvia The Latvians are a Baltic peoples culturally related to the Estonians and Lithuanians, with the Latvian language having many similarities with Lithuanian language, but not with the Estonian language.... and Estonia Estonia Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Finland across the Gulf of Finland, to the west by Sweden across the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by the Russia .... . There were no fatalities or injuries. The gusts reached 135 km/h in Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands.... and more than 100 km/h in other countries.
Emma Emma (windstorm) Emma was a severe extratropical cyclone which passed through several mainly Central European countries, most devastatingly on Saturday March 1, 2008, killing at least twelve people in Austria, Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic....	March 1 2008	A strong European windstorm Emma hit Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands.... , Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west.... , Czech Republic Czech Republic The Czech Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country borders Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east.... and Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north.... . At least 12 people died (4 in Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west.... , 2 in Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north.... , 4 in Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands.... and 2 in Czech Republic Czech Republic The Czech Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country borders Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east.... ). The gusts reached 190 km/h in Eastern Alps Eastern Alps Eastern Alps is the name given to the eastern half of the Alps, usually defined as the area east of the Spl?gen Pass in eastern Switzerland. North of the Spl?gen Pass, the Posterior Rhine forms the border, and south of the pass, the Liro river and Lake Como form the boundary line.... , 170 km/h in Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north.... and 140 km/h in Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands.... and Czech Republic Czech Republic The Czech Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country borders Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east.... . The results were catastrophic.
Klaus	January 2009	A European windstorm that has hit southern France France France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France.... and northern Spain Spain Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably.... , said to be the most damaging to hit the area since that of December 1999. The storm has caused widespread damage across the countries, especially in northern Spain.Twelve fatalities have been reported as of January 24 as well as extensive disruptions of public transport, power outages to homes including over a million households without electricity in southwestern France. The gusts reached 206km/h.
Quinten Quinten (storm) Quinten is the name of an european windstorm sweeping across France, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland on February 9 and 10, 2009. Wind speeds reached more than 160km/h on some mountains....	February 2009	Serve windstorm accross France France France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France.... , the BeneLux Benelux The Benelux is an union in Western Europe that comprises three neighboring countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg , which lie in the north western European region between France and Germany.... and Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands.... in early February. Highest winds were recordet at the Feldberg Feldberg * Feldberg mountain* Gro?er Feldberg and Kleiner Feldberg mountains of the Taunus rangeFeldberg, Baden-W?rttemberg village and communeFeldberg, Mecklenburg populated place... -Mountain (Black Forest Black Forest The Black Forest is a forest mountain range in Baden-W?rttemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south.... ), Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands.... . Here the gusts reached 166km/h.

European windstorm

List

Historic and notorious European storms

Severe European windstorms between 1900 and 1999

Severe European windstorms since 2000

See also

External links