Hanover, 2 November 2023 (dpa/MIA) - An unexpectedly powerful storm that blew through the Harz Mountains of central Germany on Thursday left a woman dead after she was hit by a falling tree, according to the local fire brigade in the city of Goslar.

The 46-year-old woman from Bavaria was hiking with her husband and two small children on the 600 metre Rammelsberg mountain near Goslar when she was struck.

The storm also knocked down power lines and led to the partial closure of two motorways in the Harz Mountains, according to the fire brigade.

Also on Thursday, windstorm Ciaran from the Atlantic hit the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands, with hundreds of flights cancelled and other preparations underway.

Much of the northern German coast was under storm warnings on Thursday ahead of Ciaran's expected arrival, according to the German Weather Service (DWD).

Ciaran was moving from the English Channel over England towards the North Sea.

Gale-force winds of up to 90 kilometres per hour are expected until noon (1100 GMT), according to the weather service.

The North Sea coastal region of East Frisia and the North Sea island of Helgoland are particularly threatened by the storm, according to the DWD.

On the Baltic Sea, strong winds are expected to continue for the most part, but stronger gusts are forecasted from Flensburg to Fehmarn and the island of Rügen.

The strong winds will be accompanied by dense cloud cover and rain showers, with temperatures between 11 and 14 degrees.

The wind is expected to decrease slightly towards the weekend, but stormy and rainy conditions will persist.