The high-reaching and compact frontal cloud band of the cold front was in connection with a surface trough.
West of Norway a separate surface low developed. The frontal cloud band and the succeeding cold air convection moved quickly to the Southeast
The surface low intensified and moved to West Norway. The frontal cloud band extended from South Norway over the North Sea to South England. The instant occlusion process is about to start (Central North Sea).
The surface low continued intensifying and moved to the South. West of the Danish Coast we recognise a hint to a bulge formation. South of the bulge's peak comma and cold front were close together.
The low moved further to the South and intensified. Surface pressure over the North Sea was about 985 hPa at this time. The image shows the typical appearance of an occlusion cloud spiral.
We see a tilting of the low axis: The satellite image reveals the cloud spiral's centre farer to the South than the model analysis of the geopotential in 1000 hPa. That indicates a further intensification of the low during the next hours.
The surface low became almost stationary after hitting the coasts of the Netherlands and Germany.
The developed cloud spiral covered big parts of the Netherlands and West and Northwest Germany. The surface low intensified and exhibited a surface pressure of about 975 hPa. The strong pressure's decrease of about 60 hPa in only 48 hours is equivalent to a rapid cyclogenesis (more than 24 hPa within 24 hours). High pressure gradients led to high wind speeds over the North Sea, The Netherlands and parts of West Germany.
Over the last hours an average wind speed of 64 kn occured. Extreme gusts up to 97 kn were measured oin the west coats of The Netherlands, in Hook of Holland. Snow heights of about 25 cm have been measured on this day, which is quite unusual for this area at this time.
The surface low weakened a bit and wide areas of cloudiness in the cloud spiral dissolved.