Deadly storms have rampaged across Europe, killing at least 44 people, bringing hurricane force winds to several countries and causing massive destruction.

Passengers were today faced with continued travel disruption across the UK, as yesterday’s deadly storms continued to sweep across Europe, causing further deaths and massive destruction.

As countries including the UK, Germany and the Netherlands counted the cost of the damage, ferocious winds continued to make their way eastwards today, killing six people in Poland, including a man who died after a crane collapsed in the violent gusts.

Winds of up to 133 miles an hour swept off the Atlantic, uprooting trees, blowing roofs off houses and buildings, damaging vehicles and flooding homes. Several transport systems were brought to a standstill and thousands of households were left without electricity.

Britain - which was hit by the fiercest winds to hit the UK in almost two decades - suffered the worst death toll, with 12 fatalities, including a two-year-old, who died after a wall collapsed on him in Kentish Town, northwest London. A relative said last night: "He was a beautiful boy. He was smiling from the day he was born. That’s how we will remember him."

Germany was also one of the worst affected countries, suffering at least 11 fatalities including an 18-month baby in Munich who was crushed by a door ripped off its hinges. The high winds saw railway company Deutsche Bahn suspending all services across Germany for the first time in its history, after trees were blown on to the tracks.

A further six were killed in the Netherlands, three in the Czech Republic, two in Belgium and three in France.

More than one million people in the Czech Republic were left without power, along with 100,000 homes in northern France and 20,000 households in Austria. Scottish Power said about 30,000 homes were still without electricity in Cheshire and mid and north Wales, while in East Anglia 19,000 were without power according to EDF Energy.

Officials said that the Druzhba pipeline, carrying Russian oil to the EU via Ukraine, was shut off after high winds caused power problems and forced the closure of a pumping station.

In the Channel, two Royal Navy helicopters winched the crew of a stricken cargo ship to safety in winds of more than 50mph as waves up to 50ft high crashed around them. Twenty-six seamen had been forced to abandon ship after the MSC Napoli, a container ship with a "dangerous" cargo of pesticides, was holed and lost power 50 miles south of Lizard Point in Cornwall yesterday morning.

The Sea King helicopters winched them to safety as they were tossed around in heavy seas inside their lifeboat.

In the UK insurers warned the damage will run into hundreds of millions of pounds.

Rescue services described yesterday as the busiest in a decade as dozens of major roads were closed by the winds and hundreds had to be taken to hospital. Gusts of up to 80mph swept across the country; in the worst areas they came close to 100mph, according to the Met Office.

There was widespread disruption on rail lines yesterday, including the closure of the Eurostar service, as well as air and sea routes. In one half-hour period during the afternoon, drivers on nine motorways, including the M25, M1, M6, M5 and M40, faced closures and blockages. There were 600 road closures, in full or in part, six times more than on a normal busy day.

Passengers can expect continued problems on transport today, with further cancellations and delays as services struggle to return to normal. British Airways cancelled 34 incoming flights to Heathrow and Gatwick airports and the two main London to Scotland rail routes are operating with a severely-reduced service.

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