Major European windstorms are named by the UK Met Office, just like hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones around the world.
The powerful storm named Kyrill formed near Newfoundland on January 15, 2007. It crossed the Atlantic and slammed into northern Europe with winds of 100 mph and gusts to 140 mph. It was the strongest windstorm since January 1990 according to the UK meteorologists.
The storm affected portions of southern Britain, northern France, the Netherlands, Germany, and the Czech Republic, but caused damage all the way to northern Russia. There were at least forty seven deaths across the region, with tens of thousands losing electrical services during the storm.
It is estimated that 40 million trees were felled in Germany alone.
