List of European windstorms

File:Odysseus 26 October 2011.jpg

Satellite picture of Windstorm Odysseus on October 26, 2011

The following is a list of notable European windstorms.

Windstorms

Historic and notorious European windstorms

Event	Date	Notes
Grote Mandrenke (known as St Maury's wind in Ireland)	January 15–16, 1362	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.
All Saints' Flood	November 1, 1570 (November 11, New Style)
Spanish Armada storms	1588	After the Battle of Gravelines, the Armada was forced to flee northwards, and attempted to return to Spain by sailing around Scotland and Ireland. Here, the ships ran into a series of powerful westerly gales. Already in poor condition after an extended period at sea, many ships were sunk, or driven onto the coast and wrecked, with over 50 ships lost. The late 16th century, and especially 1588, was marked by unusually strong North Atlantic storms, perhaps associated with a high accumulation of polar ice off the coast of Greenland, a characteristic phenomenon of the "Little Ice Age."
Hard Candlemas	February 2, 1602	The Faroe Islands were hit by a great storm, today still remembered as the hard Kyndelmisse. The storm permanently destroyed the sheltered natural harbour at Saksun.
Burchardi Flood	October 11–12, 1634	Also known as "second Grote Mandrenke", hit North Frisia, drowned about 8,000-15,000 people and destroyed the island of Strand.
Culbin Sands storm	Autumn 1694	A storm saw 20–30 km² of farmland overwhelmed by sand at the Culbin Estate, Moray Scotland.
Great Storm of 1703	November 26, 1703	Severe gales affected south coast of England. Between 8,000 and 15,000 lives were lost overall.
Portugal and Madeira storm	November 18–19, 1724	One of the most destructive storms ever experienced in Portugal since the early 17th century, causing damage to the east coast of Madeira and central and northern Portugal (though unclear if it was not a tropical system such as Hurricane Vince, which impacted Europe in 2005).
St Hilaire–Prisca storms	January 14–18, 1739	Between the 14th and 18 January 1739, a series of storms severely affected France, Switzerland and southern Germany. The period has been named after the saints' days of the first and the last day of its occurrence. The storms are considered to be similar to Lothar and Martin of 1999.
St Barbara storm	December 4, 1739	Affected Portugal.

Severe European windstorms between 1800 and 1899

Event	Date	Notes
February 1825		February 3–5, 1825: Winds over the North Sea led to the February flood of 1825 storm surge in the North Sea. February 1, 1825: Windstorm passed over Scotland with winds around 140 knots (260 km/h).
Night of the Big Wind	January 6–7, 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.
Moray Firth fishing disaster	August 1848
1850	Winter 1850	January 29, Yrväderstisdagen, saw Sweden affected by one of the worst snowstorms on record. February 5–6, 1850. The Great Storm of 1850 saw a damaging gale cross the UK (tentatively linked to scouring of turf and sand which covered the Neolithic settlement of Skara Brae in Orkney).
Royal Charter Storm	October 25–26, 1859	The Royal Charter Storm was considered to be the most severe storm to hit the British Isles in the 19th century, with a total death toll estimated at over 800. It takes its name from the Royal Charter ship, which was driven by the storm onto the east coast of Anglesey, Wales with the loss of over 450 lives.
Great Gale of 1871	February 10, 1871	A severe storm affected England with 28 ships wrecked on the north east coast, total fatalities are estimated at over 50.
"Lothar's big brother"	March 12, 1876	Maximum winds crossed northern France, Belgium, Luxembourg and into Germany. Swiss Re report that this was the worst event in the 19th and early 20th century, with a footprint similar to the storm Lothar of 1999.
The Tay Bridge Disaster	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	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.
The Ochtertyre storm	January 19–28, 1884	A series of deep Atlantic depressions crossed the north western areas of the UK, a storm on 26 January saw the UK's record lowest air pressure measured at Ochtertyre, Perthshire of 925.6 hPa. Swiss Re stated the storm's damaging swathe of winds were larger than those of the Burns Day storm of 1990.
"North German Express"	February 12, 1894	A rapidly moving storm brought high winds to Northern Ireland, Scotland, Northern England and northern Germany, reaching a maximum depth estimated at 945 hPa over Norway.

Severe European windstorms between 1900 and 1974

Event	Date	Notes
Christmas Hurricane of 1902	December 25-26, 1902	The Danish Meteorological Institute report a single measurement from a balloon at Hald in central Jutland with an hourly mean wind value of 35 metres per second (130 km/h). DMI estimate the strongest winds probably reached 50 metres per second (180 km/h) or more. The storm was relatively short-lived and caused extensive damage to forestry as it passed from southern Norway to the Gulf of Riga, with a swathe of damage stretching from north Jutland to Bornholm. The storm also saw significant flooding.
"Ulysses Storm"	February 26-27, 1903	Probably the most severe to affect Ireland since the Night of the Big Wind, with an estimated 1000-3000 trees uprooted in Phoenix Park, Dublin. Following a stormy period between the 18-26 which saw several depressions pass close by to the west coast of Ireland. The storm's low pressure was estimated at 975 mb (Lamb, 1991). A quote from Ulysses by James Joyce is likely based on the aftermath of this storm- "O yes, J.J. O'Molloy said eagerly. Lady Dudley was walking home through the park to see all the trees that were blown down by that cyclone last year and thought she'd buy a view of Dublin."
Ulvsund storm	October 23-24, 1921	The S.S. Ulvsund capsized during the storm on a sailing between Copenhagen and Nakskov, Lolland.
	January 28, 1927	A storm strongly affected the UK and Ireland, with a gust of 90 knots (100 mph) recorded in Paisley.
Lacken Disaster	October 28, 1927	Storm affected the west coast of Ireland, with 45 people drowned, led to the abandonment of the Inishkea Islands. There was also coastal flooding along Cardigan Bay and 5 fatalities in Fleetwood, Lancashire.
1928 Thames flood	January 6–7, 1928	Snow melt combined with heavy rainfall and a storm surge in the North Sea led to flooding in central London and the loss of 14 lives.
Western Europe windstorm	November 23–25, 1928	A windstorm affected parts of Northwestern Europe for more than two days and killed 38 people, mainly in England.
Central Europe windstorm	Early July 1929	A severe and deadly windstorm moved through central Europe in early July 1929 and killed 38 people.
Iberian windstorm	February 13-15, 1941	A storm made a direct hit on Lisbon while damaging winds affected the whole of Portugal. Low of 950 hPa, reaching winds up to 180 km/h (110 mph) in San Sebastián, Spain. It remains one of the top five most severe windstorms across Europe during the 20th Century.
October Gales	October 24-26, 1945	Gales in October 1945 killed two and wash up many mines along the south coast of England with winds over 90 mph.
North Sea storm disturbance	January 8, 1949
North Sea Flood of 1953	January 31–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, travelling between Scotland and Northern Ireland, was lost with 133 people drowned, and over a quarter of the Scottish fishing fleet was also lost. 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.
Hurricane Debbie	September 17, 1961	North-west Ireland, much of Scotland and the Northern Isles hit by severe gales, which were the residuals of Hurricane Debbie.
Vincinette North Sea flood of 1962 (The Sheffield Gale)	February 16–17, 1962	Including the Sheffield Gale 1962, westerly gales swept the entire United Kingdom during 16 and 17 February 1962, a "resonant lee wave effect" over the Pennines led to over 150,000 houses in Sheffield, nearly two-thirds of the city's entire housing stock being damaged. The storm moved south-east and reached the German coast of the North Sea with wind speeds up to 200 km/h. The accompanying storm surge combined with high tide pushed water up the Weser and Elbe, breaching dikes and caused extensive flooding, especially in Hamburg. 315 people were killed, around 60,000 were left homeless.
Channel Islands storm	October 9, 1964	A storm tracked along the English Channel bringing intense winds and damage to the Channel Islands.
Ferrybridge cooling tower collapse	November 1, 1965	Ferrybridge power station near Pontefract saw three cooling towers collapse due to vibrations in 85 miles per hour (137 km/h) winds. The grouped shape of the cooling towers meant that westerly winds were funnelled into the towers themselves, creating a vortex. Three out of the original eight cooling towers were destroyed and the remaining five were severely damaged. The towers were rebuilt and all eight cooling towers were strengthened to tolerate adverse weather conditions.
"Adolph Bermpohl" storm	February 23–24, 1967	Named after the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service ship German Maritime Search and Rescue Service ship Adolph Bermpohl which was lost in the storm. The German Naval Observatory at the time reported the storm brought the highest winds ever measured in the North Sea.
Scandinavian storm (Lena)	October 17-18, 1967	October 1967 was one of the wettest in Denmark with several areas of low pressure passing the country. Wind speeds over 40 metres per second (140 km/h) were recorded across Denmark and at the southern tip of Öland, Sweden.
1968 Scotland storm	January 15, 1968	This storm tracked north up the west coast of Scotland. In Glasgow, some 20 people were killed, 40 injured and 2,000 people made homeless, Ayrshire and Argyll also affected.
Quimburga	11–14 November 1972	A storm that struck northern Europe in mid-November 1972 and spawned a tornado that killed 28 in Germany.
Irish windstorm	January 11–12, 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, County Down. Many trees and buildings were damaged and 250,000 premises were left without electricity (approx 1 in 4 in the county).
Norway windstorm	Mid February 1974	Winds up to 100 mph (160 km/h) battered the United Kingdom and Norway in Mid February 1974, killing 19.

Severe European windstorms between 1975 and 1999

Event	Date	Notes
Gale of January 1976 ("Capella storm")	January 2-5, 1976	Central UK windspeed gusts of 105 mph (169 km/h) were measured at RAF Wittering. Middlesbrough saw winds of 114 mph (183 km/h). Widespread wind damage was reported across Europe from Ireland to Central Europe. Coastal flooding of 400 homes occurred in Cleethorpes, United Kingdom. In Ruisbroek, Antwerp Belgium dike failures and floods on the Scheldt estuary led to the adoption of the Sigmaplan (the Belgian equivalent of the Dutch Delta Works) The highest storm surge of the 20th Century was recorded on the German North Sea coast, with some flooding of coastal marshes.
Fastnet Disaster Storm	August 13–14, 1979	An unusual storm during the 1979 Fastnet yachting race resulted in 24 yachts being disabled or lost and 15 fatalities.
1981 Storm series	November and December 1981	November 23–24 A severe storm affected Denmark and southern Sweden, killing two, with a storm surge breaking sea dikes along the Jutland coast. 23 November also saw 102 tornados reported in Britain. 1981 December storm In England, high tides combined with a storm surge resulted in extensive flooding and £6 million worth of damage along the Somerset coast of the Bristol Channel, with the highest water recorded in the Channel since the start of the century. In France, the storm caused widespread flooding in the south west, causing considerable damage in the river basins of the Garonne and Adour and flooding Bordeaux. Water entered the cooling water pump house of Hinkley Point nuclear power station, causing a shut-down for weeks after the storm. December 19, Another storm leads to the Penlee lifeboat disaster.
Christiansborg storm	January 18, 1983	A windstorm affected Denmark, blowing a roof off Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen which killed two.
Unnamed	January 13 1984	A Class 4 storm affected Denmark.
Ex-Hurricane Charley	August 25, 1986	Rainfall records were broken in Ireland (e.g. 200 mm in Kippure) with consequent flooding, up to 2.4 metres in Dublin, and the storm also caused flooding in Wales and England. At least eleven people were killed in Ireland and Britain.
Great Storm of 1987	October 15–16, 1987	This storm mainly affected southeastern England and northern France. In England maximum mean wind speeds of 70 knots (an average over 10 minutes) were recorded. The highest gust of 117 knots (217 km/h) was recorded at Pointe du Raz in Brittany. In all, 19 people were killed in England and 4 in 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 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 few people had advance warning.
Scottish windstorm	February 13, 1989	During this storm, a gust of 123 knots (228 km/h) was recorded at the Kinnaird Lighthouse (Fraserburgh) 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 and on Unst in Shetland.
1990 Storm series	January 25-March 1, 1990	1990 saw 8 storms impacting Europe between January and March. Burns' Day storm (Daria) January 25–26, 1990. Widespread severe gales in the United Kingdom, France, the Benelux countries, and Germany. Isolated gusts of over 45 m/s were recorded, causing extensive structural damage. The storm tracked across the United Kingdom into mainland Europe, where it was known under the name "Daria" and caused severe damage, especially to forests. In total, insurance losses resulting from this storm totalled about US $6bn.. Herta February 1–6, 1990. Judith February 7–8, 1990. Nana February 11–12, 1990. Ottilie February 13–14, 1990. Polly February 14–15, 1990. Vivian February 25–27, 1990. Wiebke February 28–March 1 1990. These Storms primarily affected Switzerland and Southern Germany resulting in 64 fatalities. Coastal flooding also occurred in Towyn, North Wales.
Undine	January 5–6, 1991	Undine crossed Ireland, the UK and Germany becoming one of the costliest storms of the 1990s with and estimated cost of £545m. A storm surge was noted with the storm's passage with waves up to 30 m high recorded out at sea. The storm was one of three which affected Europe in two weeks.
Unnamed	January 9, 1991	A class 4 storm affected Denmark.
Iceland storm	February 3, 1991	A severe storm in Iceland saw in the Vestmannaeyjar (south of the Icelandic mainland) winds up to 56 metres per second (200 km/h) with gusts probably exceeding 62 metres per second (220 km/h), which was then the maximum the measuring stations were able to measure. Reykjavik reported hurricane-force winds with gusts up to 41 metres per second (150 km/h). In the capital winds blew the roof off the Landspítali National University Hospital, while in Kópavogur the wind was filmed blowing over parked cars.
New Year's Day Storm (Nyttårsorkanen)	January 1, 1992	This storm 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 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.
1993 Storm series	January 8–17, 1993	Braer Storm of January 1993, the storm was the most intense extratropical cyclone ever recorded in the North Atlantic, with a central pressure of 916 millibars (27.0 inHg), the intensity of a Category 5 hurricane. 96 miles per hour (154 km/h) wind gusts were recorded in the Shetland Isles. BBC Forecast on Braer storm. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11MgMm96GYQ Verena, January 13–14, 1993, a storm with a low of 980 millibars (29 inHg) affected the Southern Baltic. During the storm the Polish ferry MS Jan Heweliusz capsizes, with 55 lives lost.
Lore	January 28, 1994
Christmas Eve Storm (Yuma)	December 23–25, 1997	On Christmas Eve, 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. Blackpool's North Pier in north-west England was also damaged.
Fanny	January 1–5, 1998	An intense secondary depression crossed Ireland and northern England bringing severe gales to Wales and southern England, with winds gusting up to 77 miles per hour (124 km/h). This was probably the most severe storm since the Burns Day Storm of 1990 in southern England and Wales, bringing widespread disruption to power and communications and property, including river and coastal flooding.
Xylia	October 28 1998
Boxing Day Storm (Stephen)	December 26, 1998	Severe gales over Ireland, northern England, and southern Scotland. Winds speeds of 103 mph were recorded at Prestwick airport, and 93 mph (150 km/h) in Glasgow. Widespread disruption and power outages in Northern Ireland and southern Scotland. The Forth Road Bridge was fully closed for the first time since its construction in 1964.
Anatol	December 3, 1999	Hurricane like storm Anatol hits Denmark 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).
Cyclone Lothar and Martin	December 26–28, 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, including an emergency due to flooding at the Blayais Nuclear Power Plant. 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 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) in Brittany and in the second storm, the highest gust was of 200 km/h at Île de Ré in France.

Severe European windstorms between 2000 and 2009

Name (other name)	Dates	Minimum pressure	Meteorological history
Oratia	October 30–November 5, 2000	954 hPa	A deep area of low pressure swept across the United Kingdom bringing gusts in excess of 90 mph (140 km/h) 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. Contributing to the Autumn 2000 western Europe floods.
Janika	November 13–16, 2001	980 hPa	A severe windstorm hit southern and central Finland, causing damage worth 20 million euros. Northerly winds trailing the low pressure were exceptionally gusty, with F2 damage on Fujita scale.
Jeanett	October 25–31, 2002	975 hPa	A strong windstorm ripped through the British Isles, killing 24. Winds peaked at 95 mph (153 km/h).
Dagmar	December 16–20, 2004	983 hPa	A storm generating 80 mph (130 km/h) winds hit northern France, including Paris, killing 6 people and leaving thousands of homes without power.
January 2005	January 5–12, 2005	961 hPa 944 hPa	Erwin (Gudrun) January 5–12, 2005. Northern Europe was hit by the storm Erwin (Free University of Berlin), also called Gudrun by the Norwegian weather service, with sustained wind speeds of 126 km/h and wind gusts of 165 km/h. About 341,000 homes lost power in Sweden and several thousand of these were out of power for many days and even weeks; about 10,000 homes were still without power after three weeks. The international death toll was at least 17. The storm caused a lot of financial damage in Sweden, where the forest industry suffered greatly from damaged trees. In the south, 75 million m³ (98 million yd³) of trees blew down. 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 3 m x 3 m pile all the way to Australia. Gero January 10–19, 2005 On the evening of the 11th and early morning of the 12th, a ferocious gale swept across Northern Ireland and northwest Scotland. Wind speeds of 134 mph (equivalent to a weak Category 4 hurricane) were recorded on North Rona and wind speeds in excess of 110 mph (180 km/h) measured on South Uist with 105 mph (169 km/h) on Barra in the Hebrides before the automatic station stopped reporting at 1700 UTC. Surface pressure reached a minimum of 946 mb (27.9 inHg) to the west of Scotland. Stormy seas combined with high spring tides and caused flooding in low-lying coastal areas. One fatality occurred 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 ferry services and train services in Scotland were suspended, and many roads were closed due to fallen trees. The Forth Road Bridge was closed for the first time since the 1998 Boxing Day Storm, and the Tay (Dundee) and Friarton (Perth) bridges were also closed to all traffic.
Renate	October 2–8, 2006	999 hPa	A powerful storm battered the south west coast of France with gusts of 150 km/h in the coastal areas. The storm uprooted many trees, and many homes remained without power for many hours. Two people were badly injured in a helicopter crash. One person died in a house fire, which originated from a candle that he was using for illumination.
Britta	October 29–November 4, 2006	979 hPa	In the afternoon of the second and in the night a storm made its way through the North Sea with gusts reaching 174 km/h in Denmark and southern Sweden. The countries affected were Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany and Scotland. The storm killed 15 people and detached an oil rig, which then was rescued and pulled back to safety.
Franz	January 10–13, 2007	951 hPa	A strong depression north of Scotland brought high winds to most of the United Kingdom. A strong jet stream 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, linked to the strong North Atlantic Oscillation event taking place at the time. With a central pressure of 951 hPa, sustained winds exceeded 60 mph (97 km/h) and a gust of 94 mph (151 km/h) was recorded in Benbecula late on January 10. 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 50 mph (80 km/h) affected the entire country. Northern areas received gusts of between 60 and 90 mph (140 km/h). The depression was named Franz by the Free University of Berlin. Six fatalities have been confirmed, along with several injuries. Five people were killed when a trawler sank off the coast near Wexford, in Ireland and another person was killed near Taunton, Somerset 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. A supermarket in Wales 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 issued 59 flood warnings.
Hanno (Per)	January 9–16, 2007	965 hPa	The powerful storm Per hit south-western Sweden with wind gusts up to about 90 mph (140 km/h). Six people were reported dead in different storm-related accidents, thousands of trees were blown down, and thousands of households lost electricity. This storm also caused damage and flooding in Lithuania.
Kyrill	January 17–23, 2007	963 hPa	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 in 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) with sustained windspeeds of up to 73 mph (117 km/h) swept the UK. Thirteen people were killed in Germany, with the weather station on top of the Brocken in the Saxony-Anhaltian Harz mountain range recording 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 in the Netherlands and three in France. The gusts reached 151 km/h at the Cap Gris Nez and 130 km/h in many places in the 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 23–July 1, 2007	980 hPa	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, 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 (Andrea)	November 6–11, 2007	974 hPa	A strong European windstorm struck Northern Scotland. All schools in Orkney were closed and hundreds of homes lost power. Gusts as high as 90 mph (140 km/h) 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, such as in Grampian. The combination of Northwesterly winds exceeding 60 mph (97 km/h), low pressure and high spring tides led authorities to expect severe flooding in the east of England, to close the Thames Barrier. Many said that these conditions mirrored the North Sea Flood of 1953. In the Netherlands, the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier and the gigantic Maeslantkering (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 24–27, 2008	971 hPa	A strong European windstorm, Paula hit Poland, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. At least one person died in Poland. The gusts reached 165 km/h in the Eastern Alps, 155 km/h in Poland, 150 km/h in Norway and 140 km/h in Germany.
Emma	February 28–March 7, 2008	959 hPa	A strong European windstorm, Emma hit Germany, Austria, Czech Republic and Poland. At least 12 people died. The gusts reached 190 km/h in Eastern Alps, 170 km/h in Poland and 140 km/h in Germany and Czech Republic. The results were catastrophic.
Klaus	January 23–27, 2009	963 hPa	A European windstorm that hit southern France and northern Spain, said to be the most damaging in the area since that of December 1999. The storm 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. Many homes lost power, including over a million in southwestern France. The gusts reached 206 km/h.
Quinten	February 8–13, 2009	975 hPa	Severe windstorm across France, the Benelux and Germany in early February. Highest winds were recorded at the Feldberg-Mountain (Black Forest), Germany. Here the gusts reached 166 km/h.

Severe European windstorms between 2010 and 2014

Name (other name)	Dates	Minimum pressure	Meteorological history
Xynthia	February 26–March 7, 2010	967 hPa	A severe windstorm which was generated close to Madeira and from there moved across to the Canary Islands, then Portugal and much of western and northern Spain, before moving on to hit western and southwestern France. The highest gust speeds recorded as of midnight were at approximately 2130 UTC at Alto de Orduña (228 km/h (142 mph)). 50 people have been reported to have died.
Becky and Carmen	November 7–19, 2010	951 hPa	Becky originated from a low pressure area that formed off the southeast coast of Greenland on November 7, 2010. It moved rapidly towards the United Kingdom, deepening to 960 hPa on November 8. While Becky was making landfall on Cornwall on November 9, a low pressure area over Nova Scotia was named Carmen. By November 10, Becky had weakened and become more elongated, Carmen had moved offshore and began strengthening. On November 11, Becky had been absorbed by Cyclone Anneli and Carmen had rapidly deepened to 965 hPa. Carmen strengthened slightly on November 12, while centred just offshore Aberdeen, Scotland. On November 13, it was centred over Scandinavia. It had split into two vortexes by that time. It began moving rapidly to the northeast, and moved out of the Free University of Berlin's tracking charts on November 16.
Ex-Hurricane Katia	September 11–18, 2011	954 hPa	A tropical depression formed near the Cape Verde Islands in late-August, and strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane on September 5. However, it later weakened rapidly to a Category 1 the next day. It later struck the United Kingdom with near hurricane-force winds and moved across the rest of northern Europe in the next few days. The remnants of Katia killed a man when a tree blew down on his car. A maximum gust of 132 km/h (82 mph) was recorded, and caused widespread power outages throughout Europe, as far east as Russia.
Berit (Xaver)	November 22–29, 2011	944 hPa	A tropical wave that developed east of the Lesser Antilles was first noted for a 10% chance of becoming a tropical or subtropical cyclone by the National Hurricane Center on November 19. The center then said on November 21 that the wave had a 60% chance of becoming a subtropical cyclone, and was also gaining frontal characteristics. The system then acquired extratropical features and on November 22, it was named Xaver by the Free University of Berlin. Xaver then began a rapid strengthening phase, and deepened almost 30 millibars to 944 mb (27.9 inHg). Wind gusts reached 184 km/h (114 mph) in the Faroe Islands causing widespread damage. One woman died after her car got blown into a loch in Scotland.
Friedhelm (Bawbag)	December 7–13, 2011	956 hPa	The system that would become Friedhelm formed over the Labrador Sea on December 5, 2011 with a central pressure of 997 mb (29.4 inHg). As the system moved into the North Atlantic Ocean, it was named Friedhelm by the Free University of Berlin. On December 8 at midnight, Friedhelm was located west of the British Isles with a central pressure of 977 mb (28.9 inHg). By the next day, December 9, the large system was located over the North Sea with a deep central pressure of 956 mb (28.2 inHg). Friedhelm then weakened as it moved over Scandinavia. In preparation for the storm, the Met Office issued a red wind warning for the Scottish Central Belt. Most schools in Scotland were closed by lunchtime. The Forth, Tay, Erskine and Skye Bridges were all closed due to strong winds. The summit of CairnGorm recorded a gust up to 165 mph (266 km/h), also recording sustained winds up to 105 mph (169 km/h). As the storm moved into Scandinavia, the Swedish Meteorological Institute issued a Class 2 warning. The storm was named Friedhelm on December 7 by the Free University of Berlin and was named Bawbag by an unknown person.
Hergen	December 11–19, 2011	946 hPa	On December 11, 2012, an area of low pressure emerged over the northwestern Atlantic Ocean near Newfoundland. By the next day, Hergen intensified rapidly as it sped across the Atlantic, deepening to 980 mb (29 inHg). Bombing occurred within the center of the storm and he attained peak itensity on December 13 with a central pressure of 945 mb (27.9 inHg), equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane. Hergen was so strong that it had absorbed the circulation of another low named 'Gunther'. By this time, the Cairn Gorm weather station had recorded a 111 mph (179 km/h) wind gust. As Hergen moved northeastwards, it began to weaken while located over the Shetland Isles on December 14. The storm remained stationary until December 16 offshore the west coast of Norway. The vortex continued to weaken until it dissipated on December 20.
Joachim	December 15–21, 2011	968 hPa	A low pressure area formed north of Puerto Rico on December 13 and rapidly moved towards Europe. The storm caused power outages and travel disruption in France, Germany, and Switzerland.
Patrick (Dagmar)	December 24–27, 2011	964 hPa	Formed as secondary low to Cato, affecting central Norway, Sweden and Finland. A F2 tornado was reported in Hellesylt, Norway.
Ulli (Emil)	December 31, 2011–January 6, 2012	952 hPa	A weak low pressure system formed over the Mid-west of the United States on December 30. This low moved into the Atlantic Ocean the next day and was named Ulli by the FU-Berlin. On January 2, the Met Office began issuing weather warnings for most of the country. Blizzard warnings were issued for northern Scotland, while a heavy rain advisory was issued for southern England. SkyWarn UK also issued their first Particularly Dangerous Situation warning of the year, along with a severe weather warning. The storm rapidly deepened 9 millibars in just less than six hours. One person was killed after an oak tree fell on his car. This storm was described as the worst in Scotland since the Boxing Day Storm of 1998 by the UK Met Office.
Andrea	January 3–9, 2012	966 hPa	Closely following Cyclone Ulli, the first named storm of 2012 formed southwest of Iceland, moving down into the North Sea affecting UK, Netherlands, Denmark and Germany.
Gong	January 18–24, 2013	968 hPa	An explosively deepening cyclone from the Atlantic brought high wind to Portugal. The cities of Lisbon and Porto registered wind gusts of 29 metres per second (100 km/h) and 32.3 metres per second (116 km/h). Widespread fallen trees and power cables left more than 1 million people without power.
Christian (Saint Jude Day storm)	October 26–31, 2013	965 hPa	Named after the feast of Saint Jude the Apostle on the 28 October, impact N Europe from 27 October. The storm was widely reported in the British press on 25 October, with predicted intensity comparisons made to the Great storm of 1987 and the Burns' Day storm of 1990. It hit the UK, and parts of northern Europe with gusts of up to 120 mph recorded in Denmark. More than 10 people were killed in the storm.
Nordic Storm Series 2013	November 13–December 19, 2013	971 hPa	A series of storms affected the Nordic Nations during November and December as high pressure over Europe directed westerly flow over the Atlantic to Northern Europe. Hilde (Otto/Eino) – November 13–19, 2013. 971 hPa. The Norwegian meteorological institute issued an extreme weather warning over Hilde, expecting gusts up to 45 m/s to hit central Norway on 16 November. Oskari (Vincenc) – November 29–December 4, 2013. 976 hPa. Named by the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Ivar (Seija) – December 10–17, 2013. 977 hPa. With a route and intensity similar to Hilde, Ivar once again brought hurricane-force winds to central Norway. In Sweden the storm left 55,000 across Norrland without power. Near record level winds were reported from Finland, where 200,000 were left without power. Estonia saw winds up to 115 km/h and 45,000 homes without electricity. Zaki – December 12–16, 2013 and Adam December 14–19, 2013. 952 hPa. Faroese authorities measured at Oyndarfjørður on the island of Eysturoy extreme gusts measured at 73.9 metres per second (266 km/h) which, according to official measurements may be a new record, higher than 66.9 metres per second (241 km/h) recorded at Mykines in March 1997. Though local orographic effects may prevent this wind speed reaching the record books.
Xaver (Bodil)	December 4–11, 2013	962 hPa	Force 12 winds were forecast over the North Sea on December 5. The system impacted densely populated areas in the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Germany and Poland.
2013–2014 Atlantic winter storms in Europe	December 17, 2013–February 20, 2014	927 hPa	Bernd (Emily) – December 17–21, 2013. 947 hPa. An area of low pressure from the Atlantic brought wind gusts to the west of Ireland of 133 kilometres per hour (83 mph) causing power outages to 22,000 homes, and widespread disruption. Eight people were injured with one fatality reported in the country. The low also brought strong winds across Scotland and areas of England where one person was reported missing after falling from a cargo ship into the river Trent. Flood warnings were also raised across Scotland and Southwest England. Dirk – December 21–28, 2013. 927 hPa. The UK Met Office issued national severe weather warnings for wind and rain across southwest and northern areas of the UK for the 23 and 24 December. Erich – December 25, 2013 – January 1, 2014. 944 hPa. Weather fronts associated with the lows Felix and Gerhard passed over the UK (December 30–31 and January 2), which brought further rainfall and some stormy conditions. Anne – January 1–6, 2014. 945 hPa. Anne was a winter storm that affected western Europe bringing storm surges along the coasts of France and the United Kingdom on high spring tides a month after Cyclone Xaver brought surges during the previous peak tides to northern Europe. Christina – January 3–10, 2014. 940 hPa. An area of low pressure responsible for a winter storm in the USA and Canada moved over the Atlantic and was named Christina by the Free University Berlin on January 3. Nadja (Brigid) – January 29–February 5, 2014. 945 hPa. Coastal flooding and damaging seas from Scotland to Spain, reports of a missing teenager in northern Spain and woman washed away on the south coast of the UK. Petra – February 3–8, 2014. 950 hPa. Another coastal event with high seas washing away the railway line at Dawlish, Devon closing the Exeter to Plymouth line. Coastal flooding and high waves from Ireland to Spain, with Cork flooded again. The Cargo ship Luno is washed ashore and breaks in two near Bayonne, France raising fears of a pollution incident. Qumaira – February 4–8, 2014. 975 hPa. 36 French departments were placed on orange alert, with further flooding across Brittany, a wind gust of 128 kilometres per hour (80 mph) was recorded at I'lle d'Yeu, Vendée. Ruth (Charlie) – February 6–11, 2014. 945 hPa. Mumbles, near Swansea recorded a high wind of 78 miles per hour (126 km/h), Ciloerwent in Powys recorded a rainfall total of 32 mm over 12 hours. Stephanie – February 8–15, 2014. 981 hPa. Taking a more southerly track than most recent areas of low pressure, impacting the Iberian Peninsula and southern France before heading across the Mediterranean towards Italy. The Portuguese weather institute put the entire coast of Portugal on red alert on account of expected high seas and gale force winds. Tini (Darwin) – February 10–17, 2014. 960 hPa. The UK Met Office issued a rare red warning of wind for North Wales and north western England. Met Eireann issued a red alert for southwest Ireland in counties Cork and Kerry. Ulla – February 12–20, 2014. 960 hPa. In the UK the winds from Ulla were weaker than from Tini. Thirty people were evacuated from a waterfront restaurant in Milford during a Valentine's Day meal after the windows were smashed down by high seas and winds. 140,000 without power in the wake of the storm in the UK.
Nordic Spring Storms	March 8–24, 2014		The first three weeks of March 2014 saw areas of low pressure repeatedly cross Norway from the North Atlantic, coming in from the Norwegian Sea across to the Barents Sea. These storms brought with them warm and humid/moist air from the south west. Jorun (Norway) (unnamed by FUB) – In early March high pressure built over UK and western Europe for first time in months (since December), directing the Atlantic storm path to the north. An area of low pressure designated extreme weather and named Jorun by Norwegian Meteorological Institute on 8 March 2014 brought hurricane-force winds to northern Norway. Kyrre (Norway) – Another extreme weather event named by Norwegian Meteorological Institute as Kyrre affected north (Nordland and Troms) Norway on 13–14 March with extreme precipitation and wind. Up to 90 mm fell in 24 hours, flooding, landslides and closing roads in Nordland and Troms. Carl (DMI) Ev (FUB) – 14–15 March. An intense low pressure brought high winds which damaged buildings and forestry in southern Norway on the 14 March, with Hordaland recording the strongest winds in 20 years. though the low didn't reach hurricane strength in Denmark. Investigated by Perils AG and non-qualifying (losses less than €200 million). Pentti (FMI) Hannelore III (FUB) – On 21–22 March, an area of low pressure drew across western Norway. In Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane many places saw more than 100 mm of precipitation in 24 hours, resulting in several landslides, which among other things led to five homes being evacuated in Nordheimsund. From the 24 March an area of high pressure began to build across southern and mid Norway. The low passed over Finland leaving 20,000 without power.
Lena (Ursula)	August 7–11, 2014	985 hPa	An unusually powerful area of low pressure for the time of year brought record winds to the west of Norway ahead of Ex-hurricane Bertha, the highest gust of 42.0 metres per second (151 km/h) was recorded at Kråkenes Lighthouse.
Alexandra & Billie	December 7–15, 2014	950 hPa 975 hPa	Explosive cyclogenesis over North Atlantic brought severe winds, flooding and thunderstorms to the northwestern parts of the UK. More than 30 000 households were left without power. A secondary low to Alexandra named Billie by FUB was named by SMHI as Alexander formed over southern England and developed en route to the Baltic region. Two people were killed in Germany.

Severe European windstorms since 2015

Name (other name)	Dates	Minimum pressure	Meteorological history
Elon, Felix & Hermann	January 7–19, 2015	970 hPa 955 hPa 950 hPa	Elon (Dagmar) A gust of 113 miles per hour (182 km/h) was recorded in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis – the strongest gust since the station first began recording in 1970. Felix (Egon) Also named as extreme weather Nina in Norway. Hermann, named Rachel by a private UK forecaster, which was used in some news media.
Ole	February 6–9, 2015	965 hPa	Ole named by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute (Othmar FUB, Laina Finland) brought record breaking winds to some locations in Northern Norway and Swedish Lapland.
Niklas	March 29–April 3, 2015	971.4 hPa	Niklas is believed to be one of the strongest storms in Germany in recent years, preceded by the low Mike which also brought hurricane strength winds to Europe. also named Lentestorm (spring storm) by KNMI, affected areas of western and central Europe with widespread disruption to air, shipping and road transport at the end of March 2015. The storm also caused forestry and property damage, power outages, and led to the loss of several lives.
Zeljko	July 22–30, 2015	995 hPa	An unusually strong storm developed over the North Sea for the time of year, which according to KNMI is the strongest storm of its type witnessed in the Netherlands during summer.(NL)
2015–16 Named storms			2015–16 Named storms table see also: 2015–16 UK and Ireland windstorm season Unnamed (FUB) Roar (Nor) Valio (Fin), 3–4 October. Binrasheed (FUB) Freja(da wiki) (DMI), 7–10 November. Frank (FUB) Abigail (UK/IE), 11–17 November. Heini (FUB) Barney (UK/IE), 16–19 November. Nils II (FUB) Clodagh (UK/IE) Gorm (da wiki)(DMI), 29–30 November. Rudi (FUB) Helga(da wiki) (DMI), 3–4 December. Ted (FUB) Desmond (UK/IE) Synne (Nor), 3–8 December. Uwe (FUB) Diddú (Isl), 7 December. Chuck (FUB) Eva (UK/IE) Staffan (SMHI), 24–26 December. Eckard (FUB) Frank (UK/IE), 29–30 December. Marita (FUB), Gertrude (UK/IE), Tor (Nor), 29–30 January. Norkys (FUB), Henry (UK/IE), 1–2 February. Ruzica–Susanna (FUB), Imogen (UK/IE), 7–8 February. Aloisia II (FUB), Jake (UK/IE), 2–3 March. Jeanne (FUB), Katie (UK/IE), 28 March.
Heini & Iwan (Barney)	November 16–23, 2015
Gorm (Clodagh, Nils II)	November 29–December 2, 2015	970 hPa	Intense windstorm reached hurricane-force sustained winds in Denmark on November 29.
Uwe	December 6–11, 2015	944 hPa	A severe storm affected Iceland, and was given the local name Diddú on Twitter. The storm brought maximum wind gusts of 72.6 m/s (over 160 mph) to the East Iceland weather station at Hallormsstaðaháls, with hurricane-force winds reported from 33 weather stations in the country, and was the worst storm to affect Iceland since 1991.

See also

• European windstorm
• Extratropical cyclone
• Tropical cyclone effects in Europe
• UK and Ireland windstorms season 2015-16

External links

• Free University Berlin Adopt a Vortex
• Met Office, University of Exeter & University of Reading: Extreme Wind Storms Catalogue
• Météo-France: Notable storms in France (French)
• Graph of notable storms in France since 1980
• KNMI list of severe storms
• List of extreme weather events named by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute (Norwegian)
• Stormar i Sverige (Storms in Sweden) (Swedish)
• DMI; Storms in Denmark Since 1891 (continuously updated)