2023–24 European Windstorm Season

The 2023–2024 European windstorm season was the ninth season of the European windstorm naming in Europe. It comprised a year, from 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2024. This was the fifth season where the Netherlands participated (through KNMI), alongside the United Kingdom's Met Office and Ireland's Met Éireann in the western group. The Portuguese, Spanish, French and Belgian meteorological agencies collaborated for the seventh time, joined by Luxembourg's agency (Southwestern group). This was the third season where Greece, Israel and Cyprus (Eastern Mediterranean group), and Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Malta (Central Mediterranean group) named storms which affected their areas.

Background and naming

Definitions and naming conventions

There is no universal definition of what constitutes a windstorm in Europe, nor is there a universally accepted system of naming storms. For example, in the Western Group, consisting of the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands, a storm is named if one of the meteorological agencies in those countries issues an orange warning (amber in the UK), which generally requires a likelihood of widespread sustained wind speeds greater than 65 km/h (40 mph), or widespread wind gust speeds over 110 km/h (70 mph). (Required wind speeds vary slightly by agency and by season.) Both the likelihood of impact and the potential severity of the system are considered when naming a storm. The Southwest Group of Spain, Portugal, and France share a similar storm-naming scheme, though their names differ from those used by the Western Group. In Greece, however, naming criteria were established for storms when the storm's forecast winds are above 50 km/h (30 mph) over land, with the wind expected to have a significant impact to infrastructures. In Denmark, a windstorm must have an hourly average windspeed of at least 90 km/h (55 mph).

The Meteorology Department of the Free University of Berlin (FUB) names all high and low pressure systems that affect Europe, though they do not assign names to any actual storms. A windstorm that is associated with one of these pressure systems will at times be recognized by the name assigned to the associated pressure system by the FUB. Named windstorms that have been recognized by a European meteorological agency are described in this article.

Naming conventions used in Europe are generally based on conditions that are forecast, not conditions that have actually occurred, as public awareness and preparedness are often cited as the main purpose of the naming schemes–for example, a reference. Therefore, an assignment of a storm name does not mean that a storm will actually develop.

Western Group (United Kingdom, Ireland and the Netherlands)

In 2015, the Met Office and Met Éireann announced a project to name storms as part of the "Name our Storms" project for windstorms and asked the public for suggestions. The meteorological offices produced a full list of names for 2015–2016 through 2017–2018, common to both the United Kingdom and Ireland, with the Netherlands taking part from 2019 onwards. Names in the United Kingdom will be based on the National Severe Weather Warning Service.

The following names were chosen for the 2023–2024 season in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Netherlands. For a windstorm to be named, the United Kingdom's Met Office, Ireland's Met Eireann, or the Netherlands' Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) have to issue an amber weather warning, preferably for wind, but a storm can also be named for amber warnings of rain and snow (e.g. Storm Arwen in 2021).

South-Western Group (France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Luxembourg)

This was the seventh year in which the meteorological agencies of France, Spain and Portugal named storms that affected their areas.

Central Mediterranean Group (Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Malta)

The following names were chosen for the 2023–2024 season in Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Malta.

Eastern Mediterranean Group (Greece, Israel and Cyprus)

The Eastern Mediterranean Group works slightly differently compared to other naming lists, instead of ending a season on the 31 August of that year, they end the season on the 30 September of that year. These are the names that were chosen for the 2023–24 season in Greece, Israel and Cyprus.

Northern and North-Western Group (Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden)

This naming group, like the naming from the Free University of Berlin, does not use a naming list but names storms when it has not received a name by any other meteorological service in Europe and is projected to affect Denmark, Iceland, Norway or Sweden.

Central/FUB naming Group (Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary)

Like the Northern Group, the Free University of Berlin names storms based on low pressures across the continent and does not use a naming list. The storms listed below were strong enough or were anticipated to cause equal or more disruption than if it were named either by one of the other groups.

Season summary

All storms named by European meteorological organisations in their respective forecasting areas, as well as Atlantic hurricanes that transitioned into European windstorms and retained the name assigned by the National Hurricane Center:

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Storms

Storm Agnes (Kilian)

Storm Agnes was named by the UK's Met Office on 25 September 2023 and was forecast to bring strong winds and heavy rain to much of the UK and Ireland. The storm, which was also named ''Kilian'' by the Free University of Berlin and the Deutscher Wetterdienst, impacted the British Isles on 27 September.

Storm Babet (Viktor)

Storm Babet, which was named by the United Kingdom's Met Office on 16 October, and was named ''Viktor'' by the Free University of Berlin, affected large parts of western and northern Europe. It first affected Portugal and southwestern Spain with strong winds, heavy rains and floods on 16–17 October, subsequently moving to northern Europe. The Met Office issued several yellow rain and wind warnings for large parts of the UK, along with amber rain warnings for parts of northeastern England and Scotland. A rare red weather warning was issued for eastern parts of Scotland.

Met Éireann issued Yellow rain warnings for most of Ireland. An orange rain warning for southwestern Ireland was also issued, and there was flooding in the south of the Island, especially the east of County Cork; Midleton was particularly badly hit.

A rare red warning for rainfall was issued across portions of eastern Scotland by the Met Office on 19 October. A wind gust of 124 km/h (77 mph) was registered at the coast in Inverbervie. In the highlands, Cairn Gorm summit recorded a gust of 185 km/h (115 mph). In Brechin, Scotland, residents were asked to evacuate their homes by the local council.

In Denmark, southern Sweden and northern Germany, the wind caused some material damages, fallen trees and cancellations of ferries, trains and planes, but the most serious effect was a storm surge, with large amounts of seawater being pushed by the wind into the westernmost Baltic Sea and Danish straits (unlike floods in Great Britain, Ireland and the Iberian Peninsula that primarily were caused by heavy rain). In parts of Denmark (southeastern Jutland, southern Funen, southern Zealand and smaller islands in the area) and Germany (eastern Schleswig-Holstein), it caused the highest floods in more than a century, with some places in Denmark having sea levels that were up to above normal and in the Germany up to above normal. In certain, particularly exposed places, people were evacuated after levees broke and houses were flooded. On the opposite, western side of Jutland and Schleswig-Holstein, the waters were forced away from the shore by the wind, with sea levels up to below normal, stranding boats and preventing several ferries from running because of insufficient water depths. This flooding was unusual because it was caused by easterly winds and mainly impacted the westernmost Baltic Sea. In Denmark and Germany, large storm floods are most often caused by westerly stoms where the greatest impact is on the southeastern North Sea, which has coastlines that are far better protected by taller, more extensive levees and other systems.

There were at least six recorded fatalities: a 57-year-old woman died after being swept into a river in Angus (Scotland), a 56-year-old man died after his van hit a tree near Forfar in Angus, a man in his 60s was killed after being swept away by flood waters near Cleobury Mortimer (England), a 33-year-old woman was killed on the German island of Fehmarn when her car was hit by a falling tree, and a woman in her 80s in Chesterfield died in floods. A man trapped in a vehicle in floodwater near the Aberdeenshire village of Marykirk was later found dead.

Damage in Schleswig-Holstein was estimated to be 200 Million Euro.

Storm Aline (Wolfgang)

Storm Aline was named by Spain's state weather forecast agency AEMET, while ''Wolfgang'' was the name given by the Free University of Berlin both on 18 October 2023. The storm caused heavy rainfall across several parts of Spain and France. More than 20 flights were diverted from Málaga Airport and a gust of 100 km/h (60 mph) was reported in Cabrera.

Storm Bernard (Xanthos)

Storm Bernard was named by the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere ( IPMA) on 22 October 2023, but the Free University of Berlin noticed and named this system, ''Xanthos'', on 21 October 2023 instead.

The system impacted Spain and Portugal prompting the issuance of yellow rain warnings.

Storm Celine (Benj)

Storm Celine was named and reported on 28 October 2023 by the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere ( IPMA), at around 1 pm local time that same afternoon. The cold front moved down south, causing heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms. IPMA also predicted wind gusts as high as 90 km/h (55 mph) in the highlands and waves up to 6 m in height.

The storm passed through central Portugal on 29 October. By 30 October, it had swept through southern Portugal and prompted yellow weather warnings for heavy rain in nine provinces in five autonomous communities in Spain. Weather warning were issued in western France until 31 October.

One death was reported, namely a 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in France on 29 October.

Storm Ciarán (Emir)

Storm Ciarán was named by the United Kingdom's Met Office on 29 October, while the Free University of Berlin gave this system ''Emir'' on 30 October 2023. It was expected to bring winds of widely with > on some coasts. More heavy rainfall was expected to fall which would exacerbate the flooding from Storm Babet a week prior. A large yellow weather warning for rain and wind was placed for the South Wales, Devon and Cornwall, south coast and the east coast of East Anglia. In Cornwall, 4,000 properties were left without power. In Devon, 250 schools were closed. In Dorset, the Freshwater Beach Holiday Park at Burton Bradstock was destroyed. Other places in Dorset affected included Loders, Easton and West Bay. A caravan park at Tenby in Wales was evacuated due to flooding.

The Met Office stated Storm Ciarán was undergoing explosive cyclogenesis as of 1 November. The storm especially affected the Isle of Jersey, where a freak thunderstorm created spawned an IF2.5/T6 tornado alongside the golf ball sized hail with windspeeds of the storm reaching around over . The southern coast of England and France were severely affected by the storm, with record wind gusts in France being reported around .
The storm also caused flooding and huge waves. An IF3 tornado also touched down in Bulgaria.

In the Netherlands, an orange weather warning was given for the coastal provinces for high winds. Events were cancelled, including the Dutch Headwind Cycling Championships at the last minute due to safety. There was a lot of disruption due to cancelled flights and trains. People were advised to work from home, and to not drive unless absolutely necessary.

There were 15 fatalities as a result of the storm. A 46-year-old woman died in Germany when a tree fell on her.
There were two deaths in Belgium, a 5-year-old child and a 64-year-old woman from falling branches.
A 23-year-old woman died in Spain from a fallen tree.
In France two deaths were reported, including a 72-year-old man who was blown off his balcony.
And in the Netherlands a person was killed when a tree fell on their car.
As of 3 November 2023, six more died in Italy and one in Albania.

Six people were killed during heavy rains in the region of Tuscany, Italy, with rivers flooding and causing damage. Several roads and highways are closed amid landslides. Severe damage also occurred in Campobasso, Molise, evacuations were being made in Veneto with highways being closed, and emergency calls occurred in Rome. In Sardinia, strong winds fueled fires that burned hectares of vegetation, while a man was killed in Capoterra, and in Tortolì an entire sawmill burned down.

In total there were more than 1 million power outages, and in Cornwall around 4,000 properties were left without power. Damage assessed by PERLIS was finalized at €2.067 billion (US$2.22 billion).

Storm Domingos (Fred)

Storm Domingos was named and reported on 3 November 2023 by the Spanish Met Service (AEMET). The storm was subsequently named ''Fred'' by the Free University of Berlin on 4 November 2023 at 12:00 UTC. It was expected to bring strong winds to France, Spain and Portugal with wind warnings in force for parts of those countries. The United Kingdom had a yellow rain warning for the south coast, issued by the Met Office.

One death was reported; an employee from Enedis was killed in the French region of Brittany, on 5 November 2023.

Storm Elisa (Helmoe)

Storm Elisa was identified by Météo-France on 9 November 2023, while the Free University of Berlin named this system ''Helmoe'' the very next day.

Heavy rain was forecast to fall in northern France between Le Havre and Calais with 80–100 millimetres to fall in the region. This caused rivers to burst their banks causing some flooding with 20–50 more widely.
No deaths were recorded from Storm Elisa.

Storm Debi

Storm Debi was identified by Met Éireann on 12 November 2023, while the Free University of Berlin will not be issuing a name for this system as it neither impacted Denmark, Sweden nor Norway. It heavily impacted Ireland on 12 November (Sunday night), before it made its way to the United Kingdom on 13 November, (Monday morning).

Met Éireann placed in effect a red wind warning for 14 counties: Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, Clare, east Galway, south Roscommon, Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Louth, Meath, Wicklow, Offaly, and Westmeath, and yellow and orange wind and rain warnings for the rest of the country.

The Met Office issued a yellow wind warning for regions of East Midlands, North East England, North West England, Wales, West Midlands (region), Yorkshire, Humber, Midlands, Tayside, Fife and Grampian.

The Tornado and Storm Research Organization issued a tornado watch for much of Ireland, Wales, Midlands and East Anglia on Sunday evening, starting from midnight to midday Monday.

On Monday morning 13 November, the storm reached the Netherlands.

Storm Frederico (Linus)

Storm Frederico was identified by Météo-France on 15 November 2023 around 17:50 CET as a new depression, and the Free University of Berlin announced on 16 November 2023 that this system will be named ''Linus''. Météo-France predicted this system will travel from the Gulf of Saint-Malo towards north of Germany, morning of 16 November 2023 near the Channel Islands and by the night, strong gale will reach Provence and Corsica. overnight with significant gusts between 110 km/h and 120 km/h (70 to 75 mph)

The Met Office issued yellow rain warnings in association with the storm system for the south coast of England and Wales where flooding is possible. It is also reported that Météo-France already placed 55 departments on yellow alert, including Île-de-France.

The system then tracked through southeastern central parts of Europe bringing heavy rain and strong winds to the Balkans and southern Black Sea coasts such as Turkey. Orange and yellow wind and snow warnings were put up for parts of the Balkans particularly, Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria. The system brought heavy rain and some snowfall to western parts of Turkey. The eastern Mediterranean is forecast to also be impacted by Frederico, with yellow flood warnings for parts of Israel and an orange 'coastal event' warning issued. The storm moved out of Europe by 21 November 2023.

Storm Alexis

Though a weak and small system, Storm Alexis was assigned by the Italian Servizio Meteorologico, on 22 November 2023. The storm was assigned for potential flash flooding due to heavy rain with orange warnings.

It was also predicted that Alexis would turn into an anticyclone by 24 November 2023, Friday.

The national meteorological service predicted the arrival of cold air mass from Scandinavia, heading straight down for Central Mediterranean and the Balkans which would result in drastic temperature drop, especially countries on the Adriatic side. This cold spell is also exacerbated by the formation and naming of the next storm, Storm Bettina.

Storm Bettina (Phil)

Storm Bettina was assigned by the Servizio Meteorologico, the Italian Meteorological Service, as a cold plunge from northern Europe impacted much of the continent. The Free University of Berlin named this system ''Phil'' the next day on 26 November 2023.

Up to 60 cm of snow was forecast for Ukraine and Romania with blizzards possible for parts of southern Europe. Many red and orange snow, rain, wind and ice warnings were force for many parts of south, central and southeastern parts of Europe. Red wind warnings were also in place for coastal parts of Croatia with orange and yellow wind warnings in force for parts of the Italian Peninsula as well as much of the Balkans much of Greece and the island of Sardinia. Turkey was also expected to see impacts from this system with a heavy band of rain with strong winds in association especially in the west and northwest of the country.

Multiple districts and municipalities in Bulgaria declared states of emergency on 26 November 2023 due to heavy snowfalls and strong winds causing severe traffic disruptions and widespread power outages to estimated 800,000 households in Bulgaria. By 27 November 2023, the country's meteorological agency issued Code Yellow warning for low temperatures to Blagoevgrad, Kyustendil, Pernik and Sofia while others were still in the Green.

Currently, Storm Bettina claimed a total of 5 lives while 1 still missing. The storm also heavily impacted Crimea as one of the worse storms coming from the Black Sea

Storm Bettina claimed 2 lives in Ä°zmir, Turkey; a 62-year-old man died in Konya on 25 November 2023 in his car and was swept away by a flash flood while trying to turn back. On 26 November 2023, a 58-year-old man died in Sinop while working at a construction site when the wall collapsed on him. He was taken to the hospital but could not be saved.

The storm caused heavy snowfall and strong blizzards that lashed Eastern Europe over the weekend, forcing the closure of national roads. This is the first major cold snap that hit and spread across Romania and Moldova, prompting an emergency declaration in Bulgaria. The storm claimed the life of a 40-year-old man in Moldova on 26 November 2023 after his vehicle skidded off the road and crashed into a tree while two people in Bulgaria had died in traffic accidents and 36 were left injured during the stormy weather in the last 24 hours. At least 10 died and 23 were injured across Ukraine.

Storm Bettina also caused power outages to about half a million residents in Crimea, forcing road closure between the villages of Metyevo and Trudovoy in the region of Saki, as well as between the village of Morskoye and the town of Sudak. This caused four people to be injured and another one is still missing after the heavy storm in Crimea.

Storm Oliver

A new area of low pressure was named Oliver by Free University of Berlin on 28 November 2023 for potential risk for further damage after Storm Bettina a few days prior. The storm is associated with the same cold plunge coming down from northern Europe and the Arctic so there are yellow and orange ice warnings issued for Germany and the Czech Republic, along with many orange wind warnings for parts of northern Italy and the Adriatic Sea coast of Croatia. There is also the threat of heavy flooding rainfall so there are a plethora of yellow rain warnings in place, especially for Croatia and orange snow warnings in Romania and Slovakia.

On 28 November 2023, Hellenic National Meteorological Service had declared and issued a Level 4 storm warning to the Ionian Islands and western parts of mainland Greece and the Peloponnese, which is just one notch below the highest storm grade for the region.

The storm disrupted rescue efforts thus had claimed the life of one crew member while authorities managed to save another crew member after Storm Bettina caused a ship to sink. Greek rescuers on 26 November 2023 are still searching for 12 people missing after a ship sank in gale-force winds off the coast of Lesbos.

Storm Oliver, on 29 November passed through central Ukraine bringing more disruptive winds as the storm exits to the north. Oliver dissipated by 30 November.

Storm Ciro

Storm Ciro was identified and named by Servizio Meteorologico, the Italian Meteorological Service for potential for flooding from heavy rain.

A red rain warning was in force for the regions of Liguria and Tuscany from 01:00 1 December – 18:00 2 December local time. All northern and eastern regions, along with Sicily are under a red warning as a cold front passes through where disruption is likely.

In a broad yellow rain warning has been issued for parts of Corsica and southern France from the west coast south of the Garonne going through to eastern central parts and the regions of Aude, Pyrénées-Orientales and Ariège (department) with a smaller orange warning for rain and possible avalanches and snow for Savoy and Upper Savoy as well as Hautes-Alpes and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.

In Poland and the Czech Republic red snow and ice warnings were issued in response to the storm projected track and snowfall coverage extent. Meanwhile, a red extreme low temperature warning has been issued for central and eastern parts of Italy, including the regions of Molise, Abruzzi and Marches.

Storm Elin (Vanja)

Storm Elin was one out of the two storms that were named by Met Éireann on 9 December 2023. This first one was named in the early hours on 9 December 2023. The storm was subsequently named ''Vanja'' by the Free University of Berlin the next day on 10 December 2023

The storm hit Ireland, generating gale-force winds and severe gusts which caused travel disruptions during Saturday. Orange wind warnings were already issued by Met Éireann for Wicklow, Dublin and County Donegal. Yellow wind warnings were also issued for County Clare, County Tipperary, County Cavan and County Monaghan

Storm Elin then affected United Kingdom, where Met Office issued yellow rain warnings for Northern Ireland for County Antrim, County Down, County Tyrone and County Londonderry There was also a broad yellow wind warning covering large parts Wales and the southwest of England to the coast of East Anglia where in parts 40–60 mph gusts were expected. Some areas in north Wales were forecast of 70+ mph.

The Environment Agency had already issued 33 flood warnings for England, indicating potential flash flooding (including for the River Ouse, Yorkshire, with 150 flood alerts in force. As for Ireland, Met Éireann issued orange and yellow rain and wind warnings to 22 counties overnight in order to prepare for the upcoming storm on Sunday

Storm Fergus (Walter)

Storm Fergus was the second storm out of the two that were named by Met Éireann on 9 December 2023. This storm was named in the late morning on 9 December 2023 and named by the Free University of Berlin as ''Walter'' that same day.

This storm affected Ireland and United Kingdom, with very strong offshore winds coupled with high waves and tides during Sunday for Ireland. Met Éireann has also predicted localized coastal flooding and wave overtopping as potential impacts by the storm.

Meanwhile, in preparation for Storm Fergus to make landfall, yellow wind warnings were issued for County Cavan, Dublin, County Kildare, County Longford, County Louth, County Meath, County Offaly, County Westmeath, County Leitrim, County Roscommon and County Sligo. On top of the yellow warnings, orange wind warnings were already issued for County Clare, County Galway and County Mayo

Storm Pia (Zoltan)

Storm Pia was named by the Danish Meteorological Institute, a part of the Northern Group, on 20 December 2023. The Free University of Berlin named this system ''Zoltan''.

The storm impacted the United Kingdom, southern Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Belgium and northern Germany, causing major disruptions in holiday travel, with many cancelled ferries, trains and flights, closed bridges and roads that had to be cleared from fallen trees and turned over lorries, as well as thousands of homes losing power due to downed power lines and a storm surge that reached up to above the normal high tide mark.

In Denmark, an 81-year-old man was killed when a car driving in the opposite direction swerved to avoid a fallen tree, resulting in a frontal collision with the elderly man's car. In Belgium, a 63-year-old woman died when a Christmas tree fell on her at a market in Oudenaarde. In the Netherlands, a 39 year old care worker died after being struck by a tree while riding a tandem bicycle. In Germany, a 62-year-old man was killed by a falling fence. In Austria, an 81-year-old man was killed by a falling tree.

Strong Rainfall in combination with the Storm lead to widespread flooding in parts of Germany. A sailing accident on the Elbe River in Saxony is believed to have been caused by gusty winds and high water Levels. One Person remains missing. A 64-year-old man was found dead in Thuringia after he fell into the River Werra while working at a flood regulation gate.

Storm Gerrit (Bodo)

Storm Gerrit was named by the Met Office on 26 December 2023. The storm system was also named as ''Bodo'' by the Free University of Berlin. The storm's wind, rain and snow have had a severe impact on the British Isles and Norway.

The storm's impact on travel was only increased by the fact that it had occurred over Boxing Day, a day when road travel was expected to be heavier than usual. On 26 December there were many yellow weather warnings in force with a yellow wind warning for the south coast of England extending from Cornwall to Essex, nearly all of both Wales and Scotland were placed under a yellow weather warning, as well as large areas of northwest and north-central England.

A rain warning for much of Wales and the northwest of England was also announced, as well as a rain and wind warning for Northern Ireland. A rain and snow warning was also in effect for parts of western and central Scotland where heavy snowing caused blizzard conditions. Wind strengths were as high as for some parts, mainly around the southern and western coasts.

For the Republic of Ireland, orange wind warnings were put up on the 27 December for the following counties; Clare, Cork, Kerry and Galway with a broad yellow wind warning covering the rest of the country.

In some areas widespread disruptions to bus and rail services have occurred with many ScotRail services experiencing delays from restrictions and extreme weather like flooding and downed trees. The highest wind velocity officially recorded by the Met Office was a gust of in Fair Isle, Scotland. Also recorded were gusts of in Kincardineshire in eastern Scotland, and of at the Isle of Wight and Stornoway in Scotland.

A major incident was declared in Greater Manchester, when a tornado touched down in Stalybridge shortly before midnight on the 27th. Homes sustained significant roof damage, and groves of trees were snapped, debranched and stubbed. Following a site investigation, TORRO found that the tornado travelled 6.7km, reaching a maximum width of up to 1km. ESSL rated the tornado an IF2 on the International Fujita scale. As a result of the storm, three fatalities have been recorded when a 4x4 plunged into the River Esk on the North York Moors National Park due to the hazardous driving conditions.

On 29 December, Gerrit continued to cause impacts with strong winds and wintery showers for Shetland with ferry delays of at least 2 hours, and some ferry cancellations.

The storm was named after Dutch meteorologist Gerrit Hiemstra by the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, after retiring from the Dutch public news broadcaster NOS Journaal, where Hiemstra worked from 1998 until 2023.

Storm Geraldine (Costa)

Storm Geraldine was named by Météo-France on 30 December 2023, and was later named ''Costa'' by the Free University of Berlin.

Yellow wind warnings were in force for much of Ireland especially the south coast on 30 December as well as the United Kingdom. On 31 December a yellow rain warning was active in the northwest of England with a large yellow wind warning along the south coast of Wales and England there was also a yellow wind warning in force for the following counties in southwestern parts of Ireland; Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick.

In France a large yellow wind warning covers much of the north of the country with a orange wind and rain warnings up for Pas-de-Calais.

The storm system dissipated shortly after in the North Sea on 1 January 2024.

Storm Henk (Annelie)

Storm Henk was named by the Met Office on 2 January 2024, and subsequently named ''Annelie'' by the FUB in Germany the same day, due to the threat of very strong winds and heavy rain.

An amber wind warning was issued for southern and central regions of England and southern Wales on 2 January, spanning from the Scilly Isles, through south-western and southern England, the South Midlands, and through to East Anglia. This warning was issued due to an anticipated swathe of strong winds, gusting between in these areas on that day. Additionally, there was a broader yellow warning surrounding the amber one, indicating a wider area of concern for potentially impactful winds. The Environment Agency issued 27 flood warnings for Oxfordshire on 5 January after the River Cherwell burst its banks.

As a result of Storm Henk, extensive flooding affected South West England. Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire was particularly affected. In Worcester, the city centre was flooded. The Cooper Dean roundabout near the Royal Bournemouth Hospital was flooded. In Devon, several major roads were flooded including a landslip on the A377 in Crediton. In Shropshire, Shrewsbury was again hit by floods, as River Severn levels were expected to reach . Over 600 flood warnings were in place across Southern England. Flood alerts were also in place in Wales affecting Wrexham and Flintshire.

Exeter Airport reported a wind gust of , with The Needles on Isle of Wight recording a gust. In Ipswich, despite the amber wind warning, the Orwell Bridge remained open.

A woman was taken to hospital after being hit by a tree during the storm in Orpington. The incident happened just before 3.15pm. Police, London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade attended and found a woman injured. She was taken to hospital for treatment where her injuries were assessed as not life-threatening.

On the A433, about north of Malmesbury, another person died after a falling tree crushed their car during the storm. Emergency services were called at around 3.15pm. Two cars were struck by a huge tree after it was uprooted by strong winds and fell into the road. One vehicle was completely crushed, whilst another sustained less significant damage. An occupant of one of the cars was pronounced dead at the scene. On the B4526 near Crays Pond, Oxfordshire, an 87-year-old woman died when the car she was driving hit a fallen tree at around 5.25pm.

The London Eye was briefly closed for safety checks after a roof hatch in one of the pods was blown open by high winds while passengers were aboard. London Eye described the incident as an "isolated technical issue". The Wilfred barge sank off Victoria Embankment in the River Thames.

In The Netherlands, strong winds may have contributed to a tragic incident where a 75-year-old man fell off his bicycle and drowned. The storm also led to the collapse of a dyke, affecting water levels in the Maas River.

Storm Brigitta

Storm Brigitta is a small but damaging storm that was named by the Free University of Berlin (FUB) on 3 January 2024. The storm system has prompt a yellow rain warning for the south and east of the United Kingdom. Heavy rainfall is anticipated to cause major flooding disruption in the wake of Storm Henk moving through two days earlier. Major incidents have been declared across the UK with widespread flooding causing travel chaos.

In France a red flood warning has been issued for Pas-de-Calais and a orange flood warning for the Ardennes, including Lille. There is also a broad yellow wind and flood warning for the north half of the country.

In Germany a level 3 red warning for rain has been issued for western parts of the country with a level 2 orange warning for rain encompassing the red warning.

Storm Hipolito

Hipolito was named by the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) on 8 January 2024.

The system is to bring strong winds and heavy rain to the Azores. A orange wind and rain warning is in force for the central group of islands. Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service of the Azores (SRPCBA) informs that a total of 53 occurrences on six islands, namely São Miguel, Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico and Faial.

The latest reported situations are related to flooding of roads, flooding of homes, falling trees, falling structures and damage to structures.

Storm Irene (Gertrud)

Storm Irene was named by Meteo France on 14 January 2024 and ''Gertrud'' the same day by FUB. Storm Irene's effects was expected to be felt from 15 to 16 January in the Canary Islands, and on 16–17 January for the Iberian Peninsula and parts of France; more intensity is expected for the western part which is packed with gusts of strong or very strong wind and persistent rain.

A yellow wind and rain warning has been issued for parts of the Azores and the Madeira Islands on 16 January. The entire country of Portugal is also under the same yellow wind and rain warning for an additional day. Additionally, there is an orange wind, rain, and coastal event warning in effect for the southern parts of Madeira.

On 17 January, in northern France, a broad orange snow and ice warning was in force with yellow wind and rain warnings elsewhere. Yellow Avalanche warnings were also up for the Alps regions of eastern France. Furthermore, there is an orange wind warning for specific regions in northern Spain, and a broad yellow wind and rain warning over most of the country.

In Germany, Deutscher Wetterdienst issued a Level 3 snow and ice warnings was in force for all of south of the country with a level 1 and 2 further north. There is also a Level 4 snow and ice warning in western parts including Frankfurt significant disruption was anticipated.

Storm Juan

Storm Juan was named by Spanish Met Service (AEMET), on 18 January 2024.

Heavy rainfall and snowfall is expected with a orange snow warning having been issued for central regions in Spain with many yellow rain warnings in force for southern and central parts of the country. In Portugal a yellow rain warning was issued for much of the south of the country, including the Lisbon area.

Storm Isha (Iris)

Storm Isha was named by the Met Office on 19 January due to the threat of very strong winds, while the Free University of Berlin named the same system as ''Iris'' the following day, 20 January.

An orange warning was given out in the Netherlands. IJmuiden recorded a wind gust of 110 km/h (70 mph).

In the United Kingdom, two 12-hour amber weather warnings for wind were in place from 6 p.m. on 21 January, which the covered whole country excluding the East of England, London and the Shetland Islands. A 24-hour yellow weather warning for wind which covered the entire country was also in place from midday on 21 January. At around 11:30 p.m. on 21 January, the Met Office issued a 4-hour red weather warning for wind from 1 a.m. for northeast Scotland covering Thurso, Wick, Elgin, Banff, Fraserburgh and Peterhead. In Ireland, Met Éireann issued a Status Red wind warning for Galway, Mayo and Donegal, while Status Yellow and Status Orange warnings were also issued for the rest of the country. In the Netherlands, a yellow wind warning covered the entire country from midnight on 21 January until 9 a.m. the following day.

A number of flights were cancelled, while a tornado watch was issued for Ireland, the majority of Scotland, and parts of England by TORRO. A brief red wind warning was in force in Scotland as Isha passed through overnight.

At Capel Curig, Snowdonia, a wind gust of was recorded on Sunday afternoon. During the early hours of 22 January, a gust of was recorded at RRH Brizlee Wood in Northumberland. Train services such as Great Western Railway were delayed until the storm passes. The A14 Orwell Bridge in Ipswich was closed due to the strength of the winds. ScotRail cancelled all services from 7 p.m. on 21 January until after the following day's rush hour due to the high winds.
The storm caused thousands of power outages across the British Isles, with 235,000 properties in Ireland, 53,000 homes in Northern Ireland and around 330,000 in England, Scotland and Wales.

The Met Office lists maximum gust speeds for Storm Isha, the highest shown is 108 Kt (124 mph) recorded at The Cairnwell, Aberdeenshire, and a minimum central pressure of from Storm Isha.
According to some news articles, and a Twitter post by Glencoe Mountain Resort Twitter page a wind speed of 168mph was recorded in Glencoe, Scotland, but this windspeed hasn't been verified by the Met Office, that means the highest verified wind-speed is 108 Kt (124 mph) at The Cairnwell, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

A total of four people were killed during the storm: a woman died at 1:50 on 22 January in Carnalogue, County Louth, when a van collided with a tree; a man died at 18:15 on 21 January when he drove into a flood on the N17 in Lisduff, County Mayo; an 84-year-old man died at about 23:45 on 21 January after the car he was travelling in hit a fallen tree on Beancross Road in Grangemouth; and a man in his 60s was killed at 21:45 on 21 January after his van was involved in a crash with a fallen tree and another vehicle on Broad Road in Limavady, County Londonderry.

In Sweden weather warnings were issued for snowfall in combination with high winds across parts of Sweden on Monday, with cancelled trains and accidents on icy roads causing disruption to traffic.

Storm Jocelyn (Jitka)

Storm Jocelyn was named by the Met Éireann and ''Jitka'' by FUB on 22 January due to the threat of very strong winds.

Orange and Yellow wind warnings issued for a lot of Ireland and Yellow warning of wind and rain was issued by Met Office for Scotland and Northern England. A small Amber warning also is in force for western and northern coastal area of Scotland.

In Germany Level 2 orange warnings were issued for wind. Poland issued Degree 1 warnings for wind and degree 2 on the coast which indicates winds of 91-110 km/h (~55-70 mph). Denmark issued warnings for increased water level for the Wadden Sea, central West Coast, in the western part of the Limfjord, western Kattegat, Århus Bay, northern Little Belt, North and East Funen and the coast of North Zealand and Øresund. DMI Warning for gales and gusts of storm force were raised along the west coast of Jutland. Sweden also had warnings for wind and increased water levels. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania also had yellow wind warnings. A gust of 140mph was recorded at Cairngorm in Scotland.

One fatality has been reported from the storm as a 73-year-old man from the Isle of Lewis had fatal injuries from a car crash. This happened near Balallan around 11.40am on 23 January.

According to the Met Office a top gust of 140 mph Cairngorm Summit and a minimum central pressure of from Storm Jocelyn.

Storm Avgi

Storm Avgi was named by Hellenic National Meteorological Service on 28 January for the risk of heavy rain associated with a cold spell.

Heavy snowfall and significant temperature drops expected to last until 31 January, according to the National Meteorological Service. Snowfall is forecasted from Thessaly, central Greece, southward, even in lower-altitude areas. High pressures in the northwestern Balkans, coupled with low pressures in the eastern Mediterranean, are causing stormy winds and further temperature drops along with locally heavy rainfall in southern areas. Furthermore, on 30 January, northerly winds in the Aegean Sea will reach speeds of 9 Beaufort, locally reaching 10 Beaufort, accompanied by heavy rain and thunderstorms, which is expected to gradually subside from Wednesday evening onwards according to Hellenic National Meteorological Service.

In Israel, heavy rain has been affecting the country prompting the issuance of yellow rain, wind and thunderstorm warnings for northern parts of the country. Meanwhile, orange rain warnings exist for Greece and a orange thunderstorm warning for Cyprus, including a yellow rain warning for northern Egypt.

Storm Ingunn (Margrit)

This storm was named Ingunn on 30 January by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute and ''Margrit'' by the Free University of Berlin.

In Norway, a red warning of extremely strong gusts of wind was issued for parts of Nordfjord, Møre and Romsdal, Trøndelag and Helgeland. Wind gusts of 70-110 mph were anticipated from the afternoon of 31 January until the morning of 1 February. The strongest gusts were expected in outer regions from Stad to Helgeland.

During the night to 1 February, the wind direction shifts west, possibly reaching hurricane strength in North Trøndelag and South Helgeland. Throughout 1 February, the wind becomes north-westerly, gradually diminishing, starting in the south. There is uncertainty about the low-pressure track on 1 February, with the potential for extremely strong wind gusts in Nordland, along with strong gusts in Troms and Finnmark later in the day. Expect coastal wind gusts of 90-110 mph and local interior gusts of 70-80 mph. Parts of eastern Norway and western Norway may experience strong gusts at the yellow danger level on 31 January and 1 February. Northern Norway may see a transition to snow showers, with a possibility of 20-50 cm of snow in Nordland on 1 February, accompanied by strong winds.

Due to coincident tides, low pressure, and strong winds, high water levels are expected in Nordland overnight to 1 February, potentially leading to very high water levels in the Vestfjorden. Coastal damage may occur due to high water levels and waves. The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate issued its highest avalanche warnings over southern and central parts of the country.

The storm was described as the strongest to hit Norway in more than three decades, with floods and power outages reported across the country. The center of Bodø was sealed off by police citing "a danger to life and health". In Trøndelag, police received between 40 and 50 calls from affected residents. A bus with 14 passengers was blown off a road by strong winds near Lærdal, without causing injury. About 200 passengers were stranded overnight in Tromsø Airport.

In the United Kingdom a yellow wind warning is in force for Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland where in parts gusts of 70-80 possibly 85 mph in exposed northern locations.

In Sweden a orange wind warning is in force for the low terrain in the mountain chain in Västerbotten County and northernmost Jämtland County. The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute warned that the weather on 1 February would be windy in the westerly wind with very strong gusts to locally stormy gusts. This may, among other things, lead to limited access on roads due to fallen trees.

In the Faroe Islands a gust of was recorded at a Landsverk weather station, making this the strongest wind gust from a European windstorm in 2024.

Storm Karlotta (Paulina)

Storm Karlotta was named by the Spanish Meteorological Service on the 6 February with the FUB naming it ''Paulina''.https://page.met.fu-berlin.de/wetterpate/static/emtbkna.gif

The storm brought strong winds and heavy rain to Spain and Portugal, where a yellow rain warning was in force. France also has rain and wind warnings where disruption was anticipated.

In the United Kingdom a yellow snow warning was in force for the Midlands, north-west England, north Wales and Northern Ireland as well as a amber snow warning issued for north Wales and areas just east of Manchester where 20-25cm of snow was possible above 200 metres. However, in the yellow area 2-5cm was expected widely with upwards of 10cm on hills. Elsewhere, heavy rain was more likely further south with snow showers continuing to move into northern Scotland. However, these showers were not associated with Storm Karlotta like the band of snow that was expected in the Midlands and Northern Ireland.

In Ireland, Met Éireann issued a status yellow snow-ice and rain warning for Dublin, Cavan, Meath, Kildare, Louth, Wexford, Carlow, Clare, Tipperary, Galway, Laois, Offaly, Westmeath, Donegal, Monaghan, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, Longford and Wicklow with localised flooding.

Storm Louis (Wencke)

Storm Louis was named by the Meteo France on the 22 February with the FUB naming it ''Wencke''.

A yellow wind and rain warning was issued for the east and south-east of England due to a severe squall line, which resulted in intense rainfall and strong winds in the warned areas. There was also a rain warning for the south-west where heavy rain was anticipated to cause disruption.

Additionally, an orange wind warning was in effect for northern parts of France, anticipating similar strong winds in that region.

Storm Louis will hit the Netherlands the evening of 22 February, bringing with it strong winds with gusts up to 110 kilometres per hour. The meteorological institute KNMI issued a code yellow warning for the entire country, starting in the south and coastal provinces at 6:00 pm. In Belgium, the Met Office has issued an amber code weather warning for powerful gusts of wind across Flanders. From 3pm, gusts of up to 110 kilometres per hour are possible, with locally even higher speeds being recorded.

There was one fatality in France : a man has drawn in his car in the Deux-Sèvres department.

Storm Dorothea (Yue)

Storm Dorothea was one of two storms named by the Italian Meteorological Service (Servizio Meteorologico) on 26 February. The system was named ''Yue'' Free University of Berlin three days earlier on 23 February 2024 where it impacted Western Europe.

On the 23 February, the system has prompt the UK Met Office issue two yellow rain warnings for the south-west and south-east of England. This is because of the heavy rain recently which has left saturated soils across the south of the United Kingdom with further flooding likely. According to GOV.UK there are still numerous flood alerts and warnings in force for areas in the south of the United Kingdom.

In France the met service has issued a large yellow flood warning in, with a orange flood warning for Doubs

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