Rail and air travel were disrupted across the continent on Friday and millions of people were without electricity. 
German airline Deutsche Lufthansa said it expected many flights to be cancelled or delayed, especially at Frankfurt airport, as winds remained strong. National rail operator Deutsche Bahn also expected major disruptions. 
London's Heathrow Airport said some short-haul and domestic flights were cancelled or delayed. Flights were also delayed in Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. 
Seven people died in Germany when the storm hit on Thursday. In Britain, where winds gusted up to 160 kph in the worst storms in 17 years, eight people died. Six deaths were reported in Poland, three more died in the Czech Republic and three people died in the Netherlands. 
Ukraine suspended deliveries of Russian crude oil through the main export pipeline to central Europe after storms brought down a power line. 
More than one million Czech customers faced power cuts and fallen trees disrupted travel on the nation's railways. Cuts were also reported in Slovakia and Romania. 
Meteorologists reported gusts of up to 216 kph 134 mph at the top of the Czech Republic's highest mountain, Snezka. 

THRILL-SEEKING WINDSURFERS 
In mountains in the south of Poland the wind exceeded 200 kph and some border crossings were closed, TVN24 television reported on Friday. 
One million Poles were without electricity due to power cuts and practice for the Zakopane Ski-jumping Championships was cancelled on Friday because of the weather. 
A lorry driver was killed by a falling tree and one man died when a crane he was operating collapsed. Another person died when the roof of his house was torn off. 
In Szczecin on the western Baltic coast a hotel was evacuated after an uprooted tree fell on a gas tank. 
In Hungary, where the strongest winds reached 108 kph, the fire brigade was called out more than 400 times, mostly due to fallen trees. 
In Switzerland, winds gusted to 130 kph overnight, knocking down trees. Authorities warned people to stay home, but Swiss Television showed thrill-seeking windsurfers out in gale-force winds on Lake Neuchatel. 

Computer hackers took advantage of the weather to send out a virus, "Storm Worm", intended to infiltrate computers whose owners opened an attachment apparently containing news about the storms. 
Power networks, Czech Forests hard hit
On Thursday the strong wind caused blackouts across the country. Czech Airlines cancelled around 20 flights, mainly to European destinations. Similarly, other companies that have been tallying up damages from the gale force wind on Thursday include both the county's energy giant CEZ and power supplier E.ON. CEZ declared a state of emergency after twenty-seven reception points - serving more than a million customers - were left without power.
Other firms badly hit include the Czech forestry authority, which called the effects of Thursday's gale force wind "the worst natural disaster" to ever hit Czech forests. The seriousness of the situation is being assessed by the Agriculture Ministry.