Cyclone Martin was an extremely violent European windstorm which crossed southern Europe on 27–28 December 1999, causing severe damage across France, Spain, Switzerland and Italy one day after Cyclone Lothar had affected more northerly areas. Wind speeds reached around 200 km/h (120 mph) in French department of Charente-Maritime. The storm caused 30 fatalities and €6 billion in damages. Combined with Lothar, Cyclone Martin is often referred to as the Storm of the Century in western and central Europe.

The storm Lothar, named by European meteorologists, is a winter synoptic storm with an explosive character that hit Western Europe, the first of two storms at the end of December 1999 in Europe. Its average winds reached up to 115 km/h inland (Orly), but with gusts exceeding 150 km/h, almost equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane, devastated northern France, Switzerland, and Germany on December 26, 1999. It caused significant damage, especially to forests, with gusts reaching 180 km/h in the plains at Saint-Sylvain and up to 259 km/h and 272 km/h at altitude according to sources.