Damaging storms lash Europe, Oz

Six people have been injured, including a woman who was struck by lightning outside her home, as wild weather lashed New South Wales yesterday.

Two people were trapped at Lansvale when a tree fell on their car. The elderly man and woman were stuck in the car for half an hour before they were released and taken to Liverpool Hospital in a stable condition.

Trees and powerlines fell on three people at Engadine. They were taken to hospital in stable condition.

A woman in her 40s escaped relatively unscathed after being struck by lightning outside her Central Coast home.

A severe weather warning for damaging winds and large hailstones was in place for parts of the Greater Newcastle, Cessnock and Maitland areas. A similar warning is also in place for the north coast, Northern Tablelands, mid-north coast and parts of the northwest.

Gusts of up to 90km/h were forecast for the Sydney metropolitan area and the Hunter region.

In northern Europe, at least 11 people were killed by a fierce storm yesterday.

Four people were killed in Britain and three in Germany as heavy rain and high winds battered the region.

The storm also claimed two lives in the Netherlands, one in France and one in Denmark.

Rough sea forced rescuers to abandon the search for a 14-year-old boy who disappeared while in the surf on a southern English beach.

Winds reached 159km/h on the Isle of Wight off the southern English coast. More than 500,000 homes in Britain and France were left without power.

- AFP, AAP