European windstorm is a name given to the strongest
extratropical cyclones which occur across the continent of
Europe. They form as
cyclonic windstorms associated with areas of low
atmospheric pressure, sometimes starting as
nor'easters off the
New England coastline, that track across the North Atlantic Ocean towards western Europe. They are most common in the autumn and winter months. On average, the month when most windstorms form is January. The seasonal average is 4.6 windstorms. Deep low pressure areas are relatively common over the North Atlantic, sometimes starting as
nor'easters off the
New England coast, and frequently track past the north coast of
Britain and
Ireland and into the
Norwegian Sea. However, when they track further south they can affect almost any country in Europe. Commonly affected countries include the
United Kingdom,
Ireland,
Netherlands,
Norway, the
Faroe Islands and
Iceland, but any country in
Central Europe,
Northern Europe and especially
Western Europe is occasionally struck by such a storm system.