The effects of tropical cyclones in Europe and their extratropical remnants include strong winds, heavy rainfall, and in rare instances, tornadoes or snowfall. Only three modern cyclones are officially regarded as directly impacting mainland Europe while still fully tropical or subtropical: Hurricane Vince in 2005, which struck southwestern Spain as a tropical depression; Tropical Storm Rolf in 2011, which formed in the western Mediterranean Sea and affected southern France as a weakening tropical storm; and Subtropical Storm Alpha in 2020, which made landfall in northern Portugal at peak intensity. It is believed that a hurricane struck Europe in 1842. Europe is also affected by Mediterranean tropical-like cyclones. These systems host tropical characteristics, but are not monitored by an official warning center.
Atlantic hurricanes in the subtropical latitudes (i.e., north of the Cape Verde region) generally do not form east of the 30th meridian west, and those that do typically continue to the west. Storms can move around the Bermuda high and turn to the northeast and affect Europe. Several extratropical cyclones have struck Europe, and they were called colloquially "hurricanes". Some of these European windstorms had hurricane-force winds of greater than . Those storms are not included in this list.
Climatology and predictions Advanced meteorological observation stations and ship reports allowed Atlantic hurricanes to be tracked for extended durations, including to the European mainland in some cases, beginning in the 1860s. Most storms that affected Europe have done so from August to October, which is the climatological peak of the Atlantic hurricane season. In a survey of such European tropical cyclones from 1961 to 2010, Dr. Kieran Hickey observed that the storms generally formed west of Africa and recurved to the northeast, or formed off the east coast of the United States and proceeded eastward. Ireland and the United Kingdom experience the most effects, due to their positions far to the west of the rest of Europe. Countries that are as far to the east as Estonia and Russia have experienced tropical cyclone impacts.
Tropical-like systems, referred to as "medicanes," are occasionally observed over the Mediterranean. Several of these storms have developed eye-like features and hurricane-force winds; however, their nature is contrary to that of a tropical cyclone. The majority of these storm originate from deep, cold-core lows which they do not fully disassociate from. Additionally, unlike tropical systems, sea surface temperatures above are not required for their development.
The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute predicted that by the year 2100, global warming would increase greatly the threat of hurricane-force winds to western Europe from former tropical cyclones and hybrid storms, the latter similar to Hurricane Sandy in 2012, in a paper published in April 2013. One model predicted an increase from 2 to 13 in the number of cyclones with hurricane-force winds in the waters offshore western Europe. The study suggested that conditions favorable for tropical cyclones would expand to the east. A separate study based out of University of Castilla–La Mancha predicted that hurricanes would develop in the Mediterranean Sea in Septembers by the year 2100, which would threaten countries in southern Europe.
Storms Pre-1900 August 1680 – A reconstructed path of a hurricane proposed by researchers from contemporary records, which is thought to have undergone extratropical transition over the North Atlantic before affecting Wales and southern England.
November 18–19, 1724 – One of the most destructive storms ever experienced in Portugal since the early 17th century, caused damage to the east coast of Madeira and central and northern Portugal. (There is some conjecture whether this storm was a tropical system such as Hurricane Vince in 2005 which impacted Europe). October 29, 1842 – Research presented to the American Meteorological Society suggested that the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale (SSHWS) was located over the extreme eastern Atlantic Ocean in late October 1842. While passing near Madeira, the storm produced a minimum pressure of , causing heavy damage there. Moving to the northeast, the cyclone struck southwestern Spain on October 29, with winds estimated at over , which was strong enough to uproot trees and damage houses. Researchers estimated that the storm was becoming extratropical at or shortly after landfall; if tropical, the cyclone would be the only Atlantic tropical storm to make landfall in continental Europe. The storm was considered an analogue to Hurricane Vince in 2005. September 1848 – A hurricane travelled from the Caribbean to the east coast of the United States, eventually dissipating near the United Kingdom. It resulted in one of the earliest completed track maps for an Atlantic hurricane. September 1, 1883 – An extratropical storm, which previously passed near Bermuda as a major hurricane, crossed over the British Isles, producing hurricane-force winds and rough seas in London. September 6, 1884 – After moving across Newfoundland as a tropical storm, a system struck Ireland with gusty winds as an extratropical cyclone. September 6, 1887 – The remnants of Hurricane Ten produced strong winds along the northern Irish coastline. November 6, 1887 – The 1887 Halloween Tropical Storm that struck Florida became extratropical, moved across the Atlantic Ocean, and eventually brushed southern Ireland before striking France.
1900–1980s October 2, 1906 – After tracking across the Azores, a former tropical storm dissipated near Wales, bringing rainfall and strong winds to the United Kingdom. September 7, 1917 – The remnants of Hurricane Three were noted just south of Iceland; impacts, if any, are unknown. September 26, 1922 – The remnants of Hurricane Two brought gale-force winds to parts of Wales. August 26–27, 1927 – The powerful remnants of the 1927 Nova Scotia hurricane moved over Iceland with a central pressure of . Hurricane-force winds were measured over the North Atlantic, though winds in Iceland only reached . September 13–17, 1932 – The extratropical remnants of the 1932 Bahamas hurricane later tracked across Iceland, Jan Mayen Island, northern Scandinavia, and into the far northwestern Soviet Union. Maximum Sustained winds in Finland reached while Iceland experienced winds up to . September 28, 1944 – The remnants of Hurricane Nine merged with another extratropical system over Iceland; impacts, if any, are unknown. October 16, 1944 – The remnants of Hurricane Twelve moved over the Iberian Peninsula; Maximum sustained winds reached in Seville, Spain. September 17, 1950 – Former Hurricane Dog dissipated near Ireland, after having crossed much of the Atlantic Ocean. September 17, 1953 – The remnants of Hurricane Dolly dissipated along the coast of Portugal. September 24–25, 1957 – The extratropical remnants of Hurricane Carrie brought strong winds, waves, and severe flooding to the British Isles, resulting in three fatalities. October 4, 1958 – The remnants of Hurricane Helene dissipated along the coast of Great Britain. September 17, 1961 – Hurricane Debbie struck Ireland as a hurricane-force extratropical low. Debbie produced among the lowest pressures in Europe from a post-tropical cyclone, with a pressure of reported between Ireland and Scotland. At Malin Head in northwestern Ireland, a gust of was reported, which was the highest gust in a survey of post-tropical cyclones from 1960 to 2009. Sustained winds reached at the same location. The high winds caused heavy damage across Ireland, estimated at over $40 million (1961 USD). There were also 12 deaths in the country. High winds also affected Northern Ireland, killing six people. Debbie's remnants later impacted the Soviet Union.
September 6, 1966 – Hurricane Faith was officially declared extratropical to the north of Scotland, having tracked as a tropical cyclone. That day, a pressure of was reported in the North Sea, along with winds of . Faith capsized a boat off the coast of Denmark, killing one person, although the other 144 people on board were rescued. The storm later struck Norway with high winds and rainfall, causing flooding, and proceeded to move over the northern Soviet Union. September 21, 1967 – Hurricane Chloe evolved into an extratropical cyclone off the northern coast of France before moving over western Europe. Details on the storm's impact are unknown, though 14 people drowned when the Fiete Schulze sank in the Bay of Biscay. October 13, 1973 – Hurricane Fran evolved into a powerful extratropical cyclone as it approached the British Isles; it was absorbed by a cold front before moving through the region. Several vessels measured winds up to off the coasts of England and France. September 1978 – The remnants of Hurricane Flossie produced extreme winds over parts of Northern Scotland, with a peak value of between Orkney and Shetland. October 3, 1981 – The remnants of Hurricane Irene moved ashore in France with winds of about . October 4, 1985 – The warmest October day on record was recorded at Basel, Switzerland due to the remnants of Hurricane Gloria. August 26, 1986 – Former Hurricane Charley moved through Ireland and Great Britain, later dissipating near Denmark. In Dublin, the storm dropped over of rainfall in a 24‑hour period, which set a record and caused severe flooding. Near the city, 451 buildings were flooded after two rivers overflowed their banks. In the Wicklow Mountains, the rainfall resulted in significant runoff, which caused erosion along the Cloghoge River. Record-breaking rainfall also occurred in Wales, causing flooding. Throughout Europe, Charley caused 11 deaths, and the Irish government paid $8.65 million (1986 USD) to pay for road and rail repairs. August 28, 1987 – The remnants of Hurricane Arlene dissipated over Spain,, which produced heavy rain over parts of southern Spain, as well as Portugal, reaching at Porto. Moisture from the storm also fueled rains in Italy.
1990s August 29, 1991 – Former Hurricane Bob dissipated along the coast of Portugal. October 30, 1992 – The remnants of Hurricane Frances dissipated over northwestern Spain, causing heavy rains in northern Portugal.
September 13–15, 1993 – A pressure of was measured before the remnants of Hurricane Floyd struck France. Off the coast of the British Isles and France, a few vessels became stranded in high seas and winds. The Meteorological Office and the National Rivers Authority stated that tides from the storm could be among the highest of the century. In France, gusts reached . Heavy rains around London triggered flooding that closed a few major roads and inundated 50 homes. August 25, 1995 – The extratropical remnants of Hurricane Felix dissipated near the Faroe Islands. September 7–9, 1995 – After becoming a powerful mid-latitude cyclone, with a pressure of and a core of hurricane-force winds, the remnants of Hurricane Iris struck the British Isles and France. The storm produced wind gusts up to in France and in Britain. More than of rain fell in parts of Devon. October 16, 1996 – The remnants of Tropical Storm Josephine merged with another extratropical low near Iceland. October 28, 1996 – As an extratropical storm, Hurricane Lili moved across Ireland and the United Kingdom, producing winds up to in Swansea in Wales. The storm left thousands without power and damaged about 500 cottages. A storm surge flooded areas along the River Thames, and high waves nearly grounded an oil rig in Somerset. Damage was estimated at $300 million (1996 USD, £150 million in 1996 pound sterlings), and there were six deaths.