Northern Europe is set to be further battered by a series of storms after strong winds swept through the region on Thursday, killing at least five people, cutting electricity lines and causing widespread travel delays. 

Two motorists died in separate incidents in Germany after trees fell onto their cars near Hamburg and in the Harz region southwest of Berlin.

A further two people were killed in the Polish city of Krakow after strong winds blew over a construction crane. A British man also has died after falling from a lorry in the storm.

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With meteorologists announcing wind speeds of up to 135 kilometers per hour (84 miles per hour) in Germany's low-lying areas, Deutsche Bahn rail company stopped long-distance journeys in seven northern states.

Spokesperson Achim Stauss said the storm, nicknamed Ylenia in Germany, caused "considerable" damage to its tracks and power lines. 

"I fear travelers will need to put up with disruptions for a long time," he added.

Schools in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia were also closed as a precaution, while large ships were banned from sailing up the Lower Elbe River that links Hamburg to the sea. 

Videos posted on social media captured passengers running to safety after a wave smashed through the window of a commuter ferry on the river, injuring one person.

Thousands of homes were left without power throughout Germany, with power lines were also hit in neighboring Czechia and in the UK.

Dubbed Storm Dudley by Britain's Met Office weather service, the weather halted train services in Scotland, parts of England and the Netherlands after the storm blew down power lines and trees.

One man in Solihull, near Birmingham, died after falling more than 3.5 meters from a truck wagon as he was unloading heavy goods from in the high winds.

With wind speeds set for up to 150 kph (95 mph) tomorrow, Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed the army is "on standby" to deal with the storm's effects.

Northern France was hit by winds of up to 115kmh, and  the weather expected to get worse with the arrival of what the UK has called Storm Eunice.

Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport said the high winds would likely cause delays, while Lufthansa and other airlines canceled several flights. 

Two domestic flights in Poland had to be rerouted to Hungary's Budapest to avoid the winds. 

The weather is expected to continue for several days in Europe due to cyclonic weather in the north Atlantic. 

Germany's national weather service says that Storm Zeynep, AKA Storm Eunice, will arrive in northern Europe on Friday.

Britain's meteorology agency has issued a rare red weather alert for Eunice - meaning the storm is a danger to life - along England's southwest coastline and the Welsh coast and River Severn for Friday. 

Potential flooding from high waves and storm surges is also expected in the UK.