A European windstorm is a severe cyclonic storm that tracks across the North Atlantic towards northwestern Europe in the winter months. These storms usually track over the north coast of Scotland towards Norway but can veer south to affect other countries including Ireland, Wales, England, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Germany. As these storms can generate hurricane-force winds (and sometimes even winds at the strength of major hurricanes), they are sometimes referred to as hurricanes, even though very few originate as tropical cyclones.
These storms cause economic damage of $1.7 billion U.S. per year, and insurance losses of $1.2 billion U.S. per year (1990-1998). They rank as the second highest cause of global natural catastrophe insurance loss (after U.S. hurricanes). [1]