European windstorm is a name given to the strongest extratropical cyclones which occur across the continent of Europe. They form as cyclonic windstorms associated with areas of low atmospheric pressure, sometimes starting as nor'easters off the New England coastline, that track across the North Atlantic Ocean towards western Europe. They are most common in the autumn and winter months. On average, the month when most windstorms form is January. The seasonal average is 4.6 windstorms. Deep low pressure areas are relatively common over the North Atlantic, sometimes starting as nor'easters off the New England coast, and frequently track past the north coast of Britain and Ireland and into the Norwegian Sea. However, when they track further south they can affect almost any country in Europe. Commonly affected countries include the United Kingdom, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, the Faroe Islands and Iceland, but any country in Central Europe, Northern Europe and especially Western Europe is occasionally struck by such a storm system.