Jan. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Severe winds are battering a swath of western Europe from Ireland to Denmark as a low pressure system passes over the continent, forecasters in seven countries said. A man was killed in the U.K. after a branch fell on his car.

Gusts were forecast to reach 130 kilometers (81 miles) per hour in Ireland, the U.K., France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, with winds of about 65 kilometers per hour in Denmark. Sustained winds of 119 kph are equivalent to a hurricane.

``A deep depression is circulating today from Ireland to Denmark,'' the French national weather service, Meteo-France, said in a forecast posted on its Web site. ``It will be accompanied by a sharp strengthening of winds.''

A 54-year-old man was killed early today near Bridgnorth, central England, when a branch went through the windscreen of his car, the West Midlands Ambulance Service said in an e-mailed statement. Another vehicle collided with the branch, though the driver was uninjured, the service said.

In Germany, where winds in some mountainous parts may reach more than 150 kph, the national weather service advised residents to stay indoors this afternoon and evening to avoid being hit by tree branches or debris.

``People should avoid unnecessary dangers today,'' Stefan Kuelzer, a meteorologist for the service, Deutscher Wetterdienst, said in a telephone interview. ``Only go outside if you really have to due to work or because you're part of a rescue crew.''

Germany

The fire department of Essen, western Germany, late yesterday moved uprooted trees and pumped water from flooded basements. In the nearby city of Witten, four cars were involved in an accident when a tree crashed onto the road.

In the U.K., the worst of the gales were forecast in the south and west, with a 132 kph-gust already measured in Wales, and southwesterly winds forecast to exceed 120 kph at times across most of England.

The weather system ``may cause significant disruption,'' the government's forecaster, the Met Office, said in a statement on its Web site. ``The public are advised to take extra care.''

France Meteo said the wind would reach 140 kph at times near Calais, northern France. Met Eireann, the Irish weather service, warned on its Web site of winds gusting between 100 and 140 kph, and the Belgian and Dutch weather services told residents to expect gusts as high as 130 kph.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Morales in London at amorales2@bloomberg.net; Maria Sheahan in Frankfurt at msheahan1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: January 18, 2007 06:12 EST