The following is a list of notable European windstorms.
Windstorms
Before 1800 Event Date Notes Grote Mandrenke (known as St Maury's wind in Ireland) 15–16 January 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 1 November 1570 (11 November, 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 2 February 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 11–12 October 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 of farmland overwhelmed by sand at the Culbin Estate, Moray Scotland. Great Storm of 1703 26 November 1703 Severe gales affected south coast of England. Between 8,000 and 15,000 lives were lost overall. Portugal and Madeira storm 18–19 November 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 14–18 January 1739 Between 14 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 4 December 1739 Affected Portugal.
1800–1899 Event Date Notes Galnemåndagen 11 March 1822 A severe storm in Norway which may have caused over 300 deaths in the country of fishermen. February 18253–5 February 1825: Winds over the North Sea led to the February flood of 1825 storm surge in the North Sea. 1 February 1825: Windstorm passed over Scotland with winds around . Night of the Big Wind 6–7 January 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 185029 January, Yrväderstisdagen, saw Sweden affected by one of the worst snowstorms on record. 5–6 February 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 25–26 October 1859 The Royal Charter Storm was considered to be the most severe storm to hit the British Isles in the 19th century,Merseyside Maritime Museum site Ancient Destructions website 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 10 February 1871 A severe storm affected England with 28 ships wrecked on the northeast coast, total fatalities are estimated at over 50. "Lothar's big brother" 12 March 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 28 December 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 14 October 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 19–28 January 1884 A series of deep Atlantic depressions crossed the northwestern 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. The great storm of November 1893 16–20 November 1893 "North German Express" 12 February 1894 A rapidly moving storm brought high winds to Northern Ireland, Scotland, Northern England and northern Germany, reaching a maximum depth estimated at over Norway.
1900–1974