Extratropical CyclonesExtratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics.
A severe North Atlantic storm produced ferocious winds across the British Isles on January 17 2009. The high winds downed trees, disrupted power supply to nearly 100,000 homes across Ireland, and caused structural damage to buildings. One person was killed in northern Ireland when a tree fell on their car. According to reports, the strongest winds (161 km/hr [100 mph or 87 knots]) were felt across parts of western and northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, while the strongest gust (174 km/hr (108 mph or 94 knots]) was reported in Bulmullet, Ireland.
On January 24 2009, a severe storm struck southwestern France and northern Spain, wreaking havoc across the region. The storm's vicious winds of up to 190 km/hr (118 mph or 103 knots) (equivalent to a category 3 hurricane) caused a sports hall to collapse in northeastern Spain, killing four children and injuring 16 others. The strong winds also downed trees, destroyed roofs, caused disruptions of power and phone services, and was responsible for a total of 26 fatalities. According to reports, this was the worst storm to hit southwestern France and northern Spain since the December 1999 storm which claimed the lives of 88 people.
A powerful storm system slammed into Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, on May 4 2008, leaving more than 1,600 people homeless, blocking major roads, and forcing 8 out of the 33 municipalities affected by the cyclone to declare a state of emergency. Neighboring Rio Grande do Sul was also affected by the cyclone, with three fatalities attributed to the cyclone and 25,000 people forced to evacuate the area. 
A major storm system, otherwise known as a Nor'easter, moved up the American Eastern Seaboard during the 15th-17th of April 2007. Strong winds produced power outages that affected hundreds of thousands from South Carolina to Maine, while heavy rainfall generated flooding in areas of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. New York City had the second-rainiest day ever, with 192 mm (7.57) inches on the 15th April. The record for the heaviest daily rainfall is 210 mm (8.28 inches) set on September 23, 1882 (NWS). Higher elevations of northern New York, Vermont and New Hampshire received snowfall accumulations as high as 43 cm (17 inches). A total of 17 deaths were attributed to the storm. A storm system brought strong winds to southern California, fanning brush fires and producing power outages. At least 76,000 power outages were reported in the greater Los Angeles area on the 12th April.
The remnants of
Isobel merged with a non-tropical low-pressure system to create a very large and uncharacteriscally powerful extratropical cyclone sytem across Western Australia on the 4th January 2007. The storm's evolution drew parallels with the "Perfect Storm" in the North Atlantic Ocean during October 1991. Very heavy rain was reported in southern sections of Western Australia, with 135 mm (5.3 inches) at Esperance along with winds gusting to 72 km/hr (45 mph).
A powerful storm system affected much of northern Europe during the 17th-18th. Torrential rains and winds gusting up to 170 km/hr (105 mph) affected portions of southern Britain, northern France, the Netherlands, Germany, and the Czech Republic. The UK Met Office reported the strongest winds since January 1990 across the country. There were at least 47 deaths across the region, with tens of thousands losing electrical services during the storm.
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