Storm Lothar

The storm Lothar, named by European meteorologists, is a winter synoptic storm with an explosive character that hit Western Europe, the first of two storms at the end of December 1999 in Europe. Its average winds reached up to 115 km/h inland (Orly), but with gusts exceeding 150 km/h, almost equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane, devastated northern France, Switzerland, and Germany on December 26, 1999.^[1] It caused significant damage, especially to forests, with gusts reaching 180 km/h in the plains at Saint-Sylvain and up to 259 km/h (on Mount Wendelstein in the Bavarian Prealps)^[2] and 272 km/h (on Mount Hohentwiel north of Lake Constance in Baden-Württemberg)^[3] at altitude according to sources.

Lothar moved at 100 km/h along a Brittany (around 4 a.m.) - Lorraine (around 9 a.m.) - Alsace (11 a.m.) axis with a front measuring 150 km wide.^[1]

This explosive system was not a hurricane (tropical cyclone), although some call it by that name, but an exceptionally intense explosive mid-latitude cyclone for Europe.^[4]^[5] It was followed the next day by a second storm named Martin, which severely affected southern France, Spain, and northern Italy.

^ ^a ^b "Une situation météorologique exceptionnelle". Tempêtes de décembre 1999. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
^ "Bewertung der Orkanwetterlage am 26.12.1999 aus klimatologischer Sicht" (PDF). Deutscher Wetterdienst (in German). Retrieved 9 January 2016.
^ "Wetterextreme". unwetterzentrale.de (in German). Retrieved 26 May 2015.
^ "Three extreme storms over Europe in December 1999". Université de Cologne. 2001. Archived from the original on 2012-03-02.
^ "Les tempêtes Lothar et Martin" (PDF). Risk management Solutions (RMS). Retrieved 15 March 2015.

[:0-1] "Une situation météorologique exceptionnelle". Tempêtes de décembre 1999. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 4 August 2016.

[:1-2] "Bewertung der Orkanwetterlage am 26.12.1999 aus klimatologischer Sicht" (PDF). Deutscher Wetterdienst (in German). Retrieved 9 January 2016.

[3] "Wetterextreme". unwetterzentrale.de (in German). Retrieved 26 May 2015.

[4] "Three extreme storms over Europe in December 1999". Université de Cologne. 2001. Archived from the original on 2012-03-02.

[:2-5] "Les tempêtes Lothar et Martin" (PDF). Risk management Solutions (RMS). Retrieved 15 March 2015.

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