World weather news

World weather news, December 2022

7th: Extremely heavy rains hit Minas Gerais, Brazil, causing severe flash floods in which at least one person died. As much as 70 mm of rain fell in just 1 hour in Santa Luzia municipality, just north of the capital Belo Horizonte, causing a stream in the Palmital neighbourhood to break its banks. Vehicles were seen floating along flooded streets of the capital, with several motorists taking refuge on vehicle roofs.
7th: Very heavy rains hit Lisbon, Portugal causing severe flash floods and leaving at least one person dead. According to data provided by the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), the Tapada da Ajuda weather station in Lisbon recorded 82.3 mm of rain on the 7th and the Geofísico weather station in Lisbon recorded 80 mm. The worst affected were the Alcântara, Campo Grande, Campo Pequeno, and Baixa areas of the Lisbon district.
7th: A very large tornado formed in Ras Laffan, around 80 km north of the capital Doha, Qatar. Another tornado was spotted on the same day in the abandoned town of Al Huwaylah. The twister was accompanied by heavy rain and large hail, triggering massive floods on roads in the city.
9th-12th: Nearly 16 million people from Arizona up to Montana and across to Minnesota were under either a winter weather advisory or winter storm warning on Monday morning, as a major winter storm continued to move across the USA. In the Sierra Nevada, snow fell at a rapid rate of roughly three inches per hour over the weekend, blanketing roads and creating “nearly impossible travel” and “near-zero visibility. As of Sunday, the Sugar Bowl Resort, in the skiing areas of mountainous Norden, California, reported nearly four feet of snow. Other parts in the region saw about two to five feet of snow, which caused some highways near mountains to close. The storm system began to move ashore Friday evening, bringing strong winds to the California coast. But in the mountains, that moisture became heavy snow.
12th: A thick cloud of dust blanketed the capital Beijing, causing the air quality index (AQI) of PM10 particles to hit 999 meaning it exceeded the top of the scale, far beyond the point deemed hazardous to health. Sandstorms, originating in Mongolia, also hit northern Hebei and Shanxi provinces, western Gansu, and central and western Inner Mongolia on Monday.
13th: More than 120 people have been killed following the worst floods in years in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa, the authorities say. Major roads in the city centre were submerged as heavy rains continued for hours and several homes collapsed. Many of those who died were in hillside areas which suffered landslides.
14th-15th: A fierce winter storm has left a trail of destruction across the southern US, devastating communities and killing three people in Louisiana. The weather has also left tens of thousands without power across six states. To the east, an estimated 11 million people in Florida and Georgia are still facing the threat of tornadoes. The storm system also brought blizzard-like conditions to the Midwest. In Louisiana, officials have so far confirmed three deaths and dozens of injuries as a result of the storm. In one incident, a 56-year-old woman in St Charles Parish near New Orleans was killed after a tornado destroyed her home. Communities across the state reported severe damage, including downed power lines and collapsed buildings. In Jefferson Parish - a suburb of New Orleans - the sheriff's office said that homes and businesses in the area had 'suffered catastrophic damage'.
17th-18th: Extremely heavy rains caused severe floods in southern Thailand, leaving at least 4 people dead. The hardest hit were the provinces of Narathiwat, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Songkhla. Parts of southern Thailand recorded more than 500 mm of rain on the 17th and 18th, affecting more than 55,000 people in the provinces of Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Trang, Phatthalung, Satun, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat. In 24 hours to the 18th, Narathiwat recorded 545.4 mm of rain, Songkhla 401.5 mm and Pattani 310.5 mm, according to data provided by the Thai Meteorological Department.
18th: Honolulu Airlines flight 35 from Phoenix to Hawaii encountered severe turbulence roughly 30 minutes before landing in Honolulu, causing some passengers to fly out of their seats. While the plane (Airbus A330) landed safely, 36 people were injured during the event, of which 11 seriously. The turbulence was caused by a strong storm known as Kona storm and Kona low affecting Hawaii with a variety of weather hazards, including damaging high winds, potentially severe thunderstorms, heavy rain and flooding.
19th-20th: Heavy snow and blizzards affecting Iceland over these two couple of days caused major flight disruptions and affected movement to and from the Keflavik International Airport, leaving thousands of travellers stranded. At 2200 GMT on the 19th, Icelandair announced it has decided to cancel all flights to Europe due to bad weather. “In recent days, the poor weather conditions have created travel disruptions for passengers, employees, and those on their way to meet friends and family members for the festive season,” Icelandair said on Tuesday afternoon, the 20th. After the Reykjanesbraut road (connecting Reykjavík and Keflavík) opened earlier today, we were able to start getting passengers out on planes.
24th: Some 200 million Americans are feeling the icy grip of a massive winter storm that has been linked to at least 19 deaths. More than 1.5 million people lost power and thousands of flights were cancelled on Friday 23rd. The vast storm extends more than 3200 km from Texas to Quebec. In Canada, Ontario and Quebec bore the brunt of the Arctic blast, with power cut to hundreds of thousands. Much of the rest of the country, from British Columbia to Newfoundland, was under extreme cold and winter storm warnings. The US National Weather Service (NWS) said its Friday map depicts one of the greatest extents of winter weather warnings and advisories ever. Temperatures in Elk Park, Montana, dropped to -45C, while the town of Hell, Michigan, was frozen over. In South Dakota, snowed-in Native Americans burned clothes for warmth after running out of fuel, said tribal officials. Coastal flooding occurred in New England, New York and New Jersey. In the Pacific Northwest, some residents ice-skated on frozen streets in Seattle and Portland. Even the usually milder southern states of Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Georgia were experiencing hard-freeze warnings. More than 5,900 US flights were cancelled on Friday. Denver, Colorado, dropped to -24F on Thursday (22nd), its lowest point since the 1990s. Wichita, Kansas, recorded its lowest wind chill (-36C) since 2000. Nashville, Tennessee, saw its temperatures plunge to below 0F for the first time in 26 years. Casper, Wyoming, set a new record low on Tuesday (20th) of -42F.
27th: At least 60 deaths have now been linked to a severe Arctic freeze that continues to pummel the US and Canada. Officials say 34 people died across the US, with the worst-hit area being the city of Buffalo, in New York state. The scope of the winter storm has been unprecedented, stretching from Canada as far south as the Rio Grande. New York State Governor Kathy Hochul - a native of Buffalo - said This will go down in history as Buffalo's most devastating storm. Twelve deaths were confirmed in Erie County, with some victims found dead in cars or snow banks. Storm-related deaths were also reported in Vermont, Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Colorado. South Florida's temperatures dropped so low, that iguanas froze and fell from trees.
27th: The death toll from Christmas day rains and flooding in the southern Philippines has risen to 13, according to the country's disaster management council, with a further 23 people still missing. Most of the deaths were caused by flash floods after two days of heavy rains over Christmas, which affected more than 166,000 people and forced more than 45,000 to take shelter in evacuation centres.

World weather news, November 2022

4th: At least six people have been killed after torrential rains caused havoc in the Dominican Republic. Some areas of the capital, Santo Domingo, saw twice the monthly average rainfall in one day. Poor drainage meant that the water accumulated quickly, turning streets into quick-flowing torrents. In some parts of Santo Domingo, 232 mm of rain fell in a matter of hours. Several people are still missing.
8th: A powerful storm hit California, bringing record-breaking rains, snow, and at least one tornado. The storm left one person dead and several others missing. This was the wettest start of November in nearly 20 years for many locations across the state. Three-day precipitation totals included 244.1 mm at Middle Fork, Lytle Creek at an elevation of 1100 m. The weather station in San Sevaine (elevation 1700 m) registered 193 mm and Palomar Observatory (elevation 1700 m) recorded 174.5 mm.
10th: Hurricane Nicole hit Florida on with 70 mph winds but has been downgraded to a tropical storm after it slowed on making landfall. States of emergency remain and evacuation orders were in place, with heavy rain and storm surges forecast. Nicole has already hit Grand Bahama Island as a category one hurricane. November hurricanes are rare in Florida. Since record-keeping began in 1853, Florida has been hit by only two - in 1935 and 1985.
9th-12th: Significant cold is spreading widely across North America this weekend, having already affected northern and western parts so far this week. During the night of 9 November, temperatures across central and western provinces of Canada, as well as many western states of the US, plummeted to at least 10 degC below normal, with some parts of Canada seeing temperatures as low as 20 degC below normal. Temperatures fell below zero across a large swathe of North America, from northern parts of Arizona and New Mexico up to much of Canada. Minimum temperatures of as low as -25C to -30C were recorded across many parts of western Canada.
12th-13th: Widespread rain and thunderstorms hit large parts of south-eastern Australia, producing major flash floods, stranding residents and damaging homes. This is Australia's fourth major flooding event this year. The highest rainfall totals on Saturday, 12th, were observed through South Australia, northern Victoria, and southern New South Wales (NSW); the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) reports. On Sunday the focus shifted to northeast Victoria and the New South Wales western slopes. The highest 2-day rainfall totals to 0900 LT on the 14th were 165 mm at Tuena, Southern Tablelands, NSW and 144 mm at Mount Hotham, Victoria.
13th-16th: Heavy rainfall affected the South Kivu Province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo during this period. The event triggered floods, landslides, and a number of severe weather-related incidents that have resulted in casualties and damage. As of the 16th, four people have lost their lives and several people were injured. A landslide hit Bunyakiri Town in Kalehe Territory, northern South Kivu Province, destroying an unknown number of homes.
18th-19th: Joe Biden is sending federal aid to western New York to help state and local authorities clean up from the massive storm that dumped as much as six feet of snow in western and northern parts of the state, the White House announced on Monday (21st). The National Weather Service recorded 77 inches of snow by Saturday in Orchard Park, home to the NFL's Buffalo Bills, and 72 inches in Natural Bridge, a hamlet near Watertown off the eastern end of Lake Ontario. The snowstorm was the worst in New York state since November 2014, when some communities south of Buffalo were hit with seven feet of snow over the course of three days.
23rd: The ongoing New South Wales flood crisis is now Australia's most expensive natural disaster, with insurers estimating $5.5bn in claims have been lodged this year. Meanwhile, showers are beginning to clear across NSW but flood recovery efforts in the state's central west and Riverina regions have only just begun. The State Emergency Service has welcomed the weather reprieve for flood-affected communities amid hopes it will continue for the rest of the week. The Bureau of Meteorology says major flooding is still occurring at Condobolin and Euabalong, where the Lachlan River may peak at 8m by Thursday higher than the 1952 floods. The main Barwong-Darling river flood peak is now approaching Bourke, where levels have broken the 1998 flood record.
26th: Eight people have died and at least 13 are missing after a mudslide triggered by heavy rains swept away homes on the island of Ischia, near Naples. The torrent of mud and debris dislodged trees, engulfed buildings and dragged cars into the sea as it reached the coast early on Saturday. The mayor of Lacco Ameno, one of the island's towns, said dozens of families were still cut off and that a number of buildings had collapsed. Several people are also reportedly stuck inside a hotel on the island.
26th-29th: The weather in northern China changed dramatically, leaving at least 7 people dead and hundreds of thousands of livestock stranded after exceptionally cold temperatures hit the province of Xinjiang. At the same time, southern China was experiencing a rare heatwave with temperatures exceeding 35C in some places. The cold wave entered South China on the 29th, dropping temperatures more than 20 degC in just 24 hours. In Altay, Xinjiang Province, the lowest temperature on the 26th dropped to -48.6C, close to the country's lowest record for the month of November. It was the region's seventh consecutive day of snow, with a record-breaking November snow depth of 46 cm measured.
30th: Tornadoes damaged homes, destroyed a fire station, briefly trapped people in a grocery store and ripped the roof off an apartment complex in Mississippi while two people died as a tree hit their mobile home in Alabama. A total of 73 tornado warnings and 120 severe thunderstorm warnings were issued from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. High winds downed power lines, and flooding was a hazard as more than 5 inches of rain fell within several hours in some places. Record high temperatures in Texas and Louisiana intensified the storm front before it moved into Mississippi and Alabama, forecasters said. Shreveport, Louisiana, heated up to 81F on Tuesday while Tyler, Texas, hit 82F, according to the NWS in Shreveport. Both marks broke the old record of 80F, set in 1949.

World weather news, October 2022

3rd: Hurricane Orlene made landfall on Mexico's Pacific coast near the tourist town of Mazatlan, with winds of more than 80 mph. Electrical cables swayed and sent off showers of sparks in the town of El Rosario, about 40 miles south of Mazatlan, close to where the hurricane hit. Orlene lost some strength after roaring over the Islas Marías, a former prison colony being developed as a tourist draw. The main island is sparsely populated, mainly by government employees, and most buildings there are made of brick or concrete.
5th: The Horn of Africa region is on the brink of an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, the United Nations and several aid organisations have said. Millions of people are facing food insecurity, as scientists and aid groups warned that Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia could be experiencing their worst drought in 40 years this October-December with drier-than-average conditions predicted. Over the past two years, the drought has killed millions of livestock and destroyed crops. More than 1.8 million children across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia require urgent treatment for life-threatening severe acute malnutrition. Thousands of people have also been displaced from other countries in the region like Djibouti and Eritrea. Last month, the United Nations' World Meteorological Organization warned of a looming fifth consecutive dry rainy season, forcing more than one million people across the region from their homes in search of food and water.
6th: With 86 days left of 2022, the Australian of Sydney has broken its annual rainfall record. The city has received more than 2200 mm of rainfall already in 2022, The Bureau of Meteorology announced. Widespread flooding across Australia - driven by a La Nina weather pattern - has already killed more than 20 people this year. People in Sydney and elsewhere have been warned of immediate flood risks and to brace for another wet summer. Sydney records date back to 1858. By Thursday afternoon, Sydney had received about 2213 mm of rainfall for the year, surpassing the previous record of 2194 mm set in 1950, official data showed.
9th: Communities across large parts of New South Wales, Australia, were on flood alert on Sunday afternoon, with a saturated landscape and swollen rivers in line for a further drenching on Wednesday. By 1 p.m. on Sunday, the NSW State Emergency Service had received more than 340 requests for help and carried out 28 flood rescues over the previous 24 hours many were rescued from vehicles as they tried to drive through flood water. Almost all the state's inland rivers were under flood warnings on Sunday as torrential overnight rain eased, with some rivers not expected to peak until after dark on Sunday. Between 30 mm and 50 mm had fallen in western areas and some coastal spots had seen as much as 100 mm falling on already saturated ground.
9th: At least 25 people have been killed and more than 50 are still missing after landslides swept away their homes in the Venezuelan town of Las Tejerías. Torrential rainfall caused the river El Pato to burst its banks. The resulting floodwaters swept away, trees, cars, houses and shops in the town, some 50km south-west of the capital, Caracas. Interior Minister Remigio Ceballos said the landslides had been caused by Hurricane Julia, which passed just north of Venezuela. There was a record rainfall, as much rain in one day as is usually seen in a month, he said.
14th: Communities in three Australian states have been ordered to evacuate as torrential rain brings major flooding. Parts of the country have received up to four times their average October rainfall in 24 hours. At least 500 homes have been flooded, one person has died and another is missing as the disaster unfolds. Victoria - Australia's second most populous state - has been worst hit this week. Several communities have been ordered to evacuate, including some in the state capital Melbourne. Many areas received massive 24-hour rainfall totals, but the highest was in Strathbogie, north-east of Melbourne. It received 220 mm - more than double the town's average October rainfall, or about a third of London's annual average. Several rivers have also flooded in Tasmania after up to 400 mm of rain fell in some areas in 24 hours. It is unclear how many homes and business have been affected there. Experts say recent flooding in Australia has been worsened by climate change and a La Nina weather phenomenon. In Australia, a La Nina increases the likelihood of rain, cyclones and cooler daytime temperatures.
14th-15th: A man was found dead and two people were missing on Saturday after torrential rain brought major flooding to the Greek island of Crete, emergency workers said. A man in his fifties died while trapped inside his car as the rains began to fall in the southern Greek island, a popular holiday destination. Local media reported extensive damage in seaside villages, where streets have become rivers carrying away everything in their path. According to emergency services, a woman was slightly injured when she too became trapped in a car. At least nine vehicles surrounded by water still needed to be rescued on Saturday evening. The emergency services received more than 450 calls within an hour on Friday morning.
15th: Widespread flooding caused by extreme rainfall and the release of excess water from a dam in neighbouring Cameroon has left 1.4 million Nigerians displaced and claimed 500 lives, according to government officials. The floods also injured 1,546 people, inundated 70,566 hectares of farmland and “totally damaged” 45,249 homes, said Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, the permanent secretary in Nigeria's Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. Flooding has affected 27 of Nigeria's 36 states, officials said.
19th: Nearly a year ago, flood waters inundated swaths of south-western British Columbia (Canada). Mudslides destroyed sections of highways and swollen, turbid rivers washed away houses and bridges. Now, the region has the opposite problem; months of drought have begun to take a toll on what was once dubbed Canada's “wet coast”. British Columbia's western coasts have seen little rain over the past five weeks and several regions are in drought level four. The impact of the prolonged dry spell was underlined by recent footage showing some 65,000 dead salmon clogging a dried-up creek. More than 200 forest fires are blazing, and scores of heat records have fallen in recent weeks. The province's energy regulator has already warned the drought will have an impact on its hydroelectric operations. In a typical four-month period between July and October, the British Columbia capital, Victoria, typically sees close to 100 mm of rain. But since July, only 2 mm have fallen on the parched ground. In the Fraser Valley, only 10 mm have fallen far below an average of 220 mm.
20th: Authorities in Chad declared a state of emergency due to widespread floods affecting more than 1 million people. The floods affected 18 of the country's 23 provinces. One of the worst-affected areas is the capital N'Djamena with more than half of it underwater and 50,000 people forced to evacuate their homes. The city has been dealing with intense rainfall for months due to an unusually active wet season. In October, torrential rains pushed the already high Logone and Chari Rivers beyond their banks. This sent large amounts of water spilling into N'Djamena's 9th District, especially the Digangali and Walia neighbourhoods.
23rd: Strong thunderstorms affected large parts of France, producing violent wind gusts and tornadoes. The storms hit after several days of warm weather, exceptional in duration for this time of year, with a depression named Beatrice by the Spanish meteorological service. Thunderstorms moved from the southwest to the northeast. On the Allier, Burgundy, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine, the storms produced wind gusts between 70 and 90 km/h. The storms were accompanied by very occasional hailstorms, observed from eastern Burgundy to eastern Champagne and in the Meuse. A stormy arc formed along a Sarthe-Manche axis around 1430 LT, moving northeast. To the south of this arc, two stormy systems intensified as they reached the Eure. One system, forming the southern tip of the stormy arc, took the form of a supercell and caused the formation of tornadoes, between about 1730 and 1830 LT, first touching the Conty sector in the Somme, south-west of Amiens, then Bihucourt in the Pas-de-Calais, and north-east of Amiens, causing significant damage. The Bihucourt tornado was estimated as EF-3, with winds between 218 to 266 km/h. The twister left a damage 200 m wide, on a trajectory of at least 25 km.
23rd-24th: At least three people have died after a powerful hurricane caused heavy rains, flash flooding and landslides in western Mexico. Roslyn, a category 3 hurricane, came ashore on Mexico's Pacific shore with maximum winds of 195 km/h. The hurricane has since been downgraded to a tropical cyclone but a risk of floods remains. The worst-affected area was Tecuala, in Nayarit state. Further south along the coast in Sayulita, people were pictured wading through and clearing mud from the streets in the area. Prior to the hurricane's landfall on Sunday, more than a dozen municipalities in Nayarit and Jalisco set up emergency shelters for those who had been evacuated.
24th: Two weather systems are causing more problems for New South Wales (Australia) residents in already flooded areas as towns in Victoria's north have been warned severe storms could cause more flooding. On Monday morning there were more than 140 current flood warnings across NSW with almost every corner of the state at risk. Lismore residents in the state's northern rivers region were told to prepare to evacuate on Sunday night amid the prospect of a third major flood there this year. The Bureau of Meteorology said moderate flooding was likely along the Wilsons River at Lismore from late Monday morning, with major flooding possible from Monday night.
27th: There is “no credible pathway to 1.5C in place”, the UN's environment agency has said, and the failure to reduce carbon emissions means the only way to limit the worst impacts of the climate crisis is a “rapid transformation of societies”. The UN environment report analysed the gap between the carbon dioxide cuts pledged by countries and the cuts needed to limit any rise in global temperature to 1.5C, the internationally agreed target. Progress has been “woefully inadequate” it concluded. Current pledges for action by 2030, if delivered in full, would mean a rise in global heating of about 2.5C and catastrophic extreme weather around the world. A rise of 1C to date has caused climate disasters in countries from Pakistan to Puerto Rico.
29th: A severe tropical storm has killed at least 45 people in the Philippines, unleashing floods and landslides in southern provinces, officials say. Storm Nalgae caused the most havoc in Maguindanao province, on Mindanao island. There is extensive flooding in and around the city of Cotabato. Nalgae is sweeping north, where the capital Manila expects torrential rain. Rescuers pulled many bodies from thick mud after landslides. The storm winds are gusting at up to 95 km/h. The Coast Guard has suspended ferry services in much of the archipelago, where many people travel by boat daily, and is evacuating many people to shelters. Heavy rain began on the 27th and the storm is expected to reach its peak this weekend. The storm has also forced some schools to close and buses to stop running.

World weather news, September 2022

2nd: A 50-mile-wide wall of dust has swept across parts of Arizona in the USA, with local news outlets reporting that some 7000 properties had been left without power. The dust wall was up to 6000 ft at its tallest point and reached speeds of up to 65 mph.
6th: Typhoon Hinnamnor made landfall near the city of Busan, South Korea at 0450 LT, with maximum sustained winds of up to 150 km/h, and exited into the Sea of Japan about two and a half hours later. At least 2 people were killed in South Korea and 10 were missing. Heavy rain brought by the typhoon caused flooding, landslides, and damaged roads while its strong winds knocked down trees and power lines, leaving more than 66000 homes without power. The Korean Meteorological Agency (KMA) said the typhoon gained strength around latitude 30 °N, which is highly unusual. Hinnamnor had a central pressure of 955 mb, similar to Typhoon Maemi (in 2003), one of the most devastating typhoons to hit South Korea. Hinnamnor also caused the grounding of 183 vessels on 122 domestic and international maritime routes, the cancellation of 251 flights at 12 airports nationally, and the suspension or modification of 354 train schedules.
9th-10th: Tropical Storm Kay unleashed intense winds, flood-producing rains and even scorching temperatures to drought-stricken California after bringing deadly impacts to Mexico. As the storm was downgraded to a tropical rainstorm on Saturday, thousands were still without power in California and scenes of havoc were left behind following the storm's record rainfall. It wasn't just the precipitation from the storm that was notable as it took a historically close track nearing California. Kay marked the closest approach to Southern California from the Pacific in the last 50 years. Tropical Storm Kay delivered nearly a year's worth of rain across Southern California, shattering daily rainfall records. In San Diego, 0.63 of an inch of rain was measured on Friday, the wettest day in the city since 14 December 2021, when 0.98 of an inch fell; in September, the average amount of rainfall is only 0.12 of an inch. Rainfall farther inland over California was even more intense. On Friday, Mt. Laguna, located about 55 miles east of San Diego and about 6,000 feet above sea level, measured 5.60 inches of rain on the mountain's Pinon Point. As the rain came down on the arid landscape, including areas scarred by wildfire burns, violent flash floods erupted. Although the heavy rain triggered flash flooding, it also provided much-needed help to firefighting efforts. The Fairview Fire was almost entirely uncontrolled, spreading rapidly and killing at least two prior to Kay's arrival. But as the rain started to fall, the situation quickly improved. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the fire was 40% contained as of Saturday.
15th: Violent storms hit central Italy's Marche region late in the day, causing major floods in which at least 9 people lost their lives and 4, including two minors, went missing. Around 50 people were being treated for hypothermia and other injuries. The Ancona prefect's department revised the death toll after previously putting it at 10, ANSA reports. However, two of the deceased are in the process of being identified and it is possible that these victims are among the people who are currently considered missing. The mayor of Castellone di Suasa described the situation as ‘apocalyptic' while other local authorities compared it to a tsunami, sweeping through villages. Dozens of people managed to save themselves from the flood waters by climbing onto roofs and trees, from where firefighters were able to rescue them. The region received around 400 mm of rain within just 2 to 3 hours the equivalent of six months' worth of normal rainfall.
18th-20th: Rescue workers in Japan have warned of mudslides and flooding after one of the biggest storms in recent decades battered the country. Typhoon Nanmadol killed at least four people and injured more than 100 others after making landfall on the southern island of Kyushu this morning (18th). By Tuesday 20th, 140,000 homes were still without electricity while the storm was downgraded to a cyclone, after moving across much of the country and heading out to sea. State broadcaster NHK said one man was killed when his car was submerged in flooding, and another died after being buried in a landslide. Two more people were found 'without vital signs', a term often used to refer to a death before a coroner certifies it. At least 114 people have been injured, 14 of them seriously. The super typhoon brought gusts of up to 145 mph, destroying homes, and disrupting transport and businesses. It is equivalent to a category four or five hurricane. According to some records, the system was the fourth strongest typhoon ever to hit Japan.
18th: The remnants of Typhoon Merbok caused widespread flooding in coastal areas of western Alaska, USA, from the 17th. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy issued a disaster declaration in response to what he called an “unprecedented storm”. “The storm hitting the coastal regions of western Alaska is unprecedented, and I want every Alaskan impacted by the storm to know that the State is working around the clock to protect Alaskans, and once the storm passes, to rebuild essential infrastructure and make our coastal communities whole again,” said Governor Dunleavy. The State Emergency Operation Center (SEOC) has received multiple reports of flooded homes, roads and airports, along with power outages and infrastructure damage. Communities, having activated their emergency response plans prior to the storm, took steps to prepare.
24th: Powerful storm Fiona knocked out power to more than 500,000 customers in Atlantic Canada today, damaging homes with hurricane-force winds and heavy rain as it made landfall as a big, powerful post-tropical cyclone. The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the centre of the storm, now called Post-Tropical Cyclone Fiona, was crossing eastern Nova Scotia and as of 5 a.m. the storm was about 160 miles northeast of Halifax. More than 415,000 Nova Scotia Power customers about 80% of the province of almost 1 million were affected by outages Saturday morning. Over 82,000 customers in the province of Prince Edward Island were also without power, while NB Power in New Brunswick reported 44,329 were without electricity. Although the storm had weakened somewhat as it travelled north, the NHC said it was carrying maximum winds of 90 miles per hour and barrelling north at around 26 mph. Experts predicted high winds, storm surges and heavy rainfall from Fiona, although a gradual weakening was forecast during the next couple of days, the storm was expected to maintain hurricane-force winds until Saturday afternoon, the NHC said. Evacuation centres were opened in Halifax, Nova Scotia's largest city, and more than 800 utility workers were in place across the province. Officials on Cape Breton island said in a tweet that a state of emergency had been declared “amid widespread power outage, road closures, displaced residents and structural damage.” Authorities on nearby Prince Edward Island also warned of a potentially historic storm surge as high as 8 feet.
24th: Two people were killed when Typhoon Talas lashed central Japan with torrential rain and fierce winds today. The northeast Asian country is currently in typhoon season, which brings about 20 heavy storms each year that often cause flooding and landslides. The city of Shizuoka, southwest of the capital, Tokyo, was hit especially hard by the arrival of Talas with a record 417 mm of rainfall, officials said. Winds at the centre of the storm were blowing at about 65 km/h, with peak gusts of almost 100 km/h, the country's meteorological agency said. Typhoon Talas is the second to hit Japan in less than a week. Power was cut to about 120,000 households, partly due to a landslide knocking over two electricity pylons, the local utility company said. Regional train services were stopped for several hours, leaving about 1,000 people stranded at an arena in Shizuoka where a concert was held Friday night. Forecasters downgraded the typhoon to an extratropical cyclone within hours of making landfall but also forecast further torrential rain with the potential for landslides and flooding. In the city of Yokohama, some 30 km south of Tokyo, about 3,000 people were ordered to leave their homes as a precaution.
24th: Hazardous weather has killed at least 36 people in northern India over the past 24 hours, including 12 who died after being struck by lightning. Across the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, 24 people died after their homes collapsed during unrelenting rains, Relief Commissioner Ranvir Prasad said. Officials said 39 people in the state have died from lightning in the last five days, prompting the state government to issue new guidelines for how people can protect themselves during a thunderstorm. Lightning strikes are common during India's monsoon season, which runs from June to September.
24th-26th: A tropical wave moved westwards from Senegal into the Atlantic Ocean where it intensified to a Tropical Storm (Hermione) and moved north, then north-west, missing the Canary Isles by several hundred miles. Although not affected by its winds, several of the Canary Isles received heavy rain over 2-3 days, e.g. during the 25th-26th La Esperanza, Tenerife at 3576 ft altitude, recorded 5.52 inches. This total is more than 15 times the normal September rainfall. The heavy rain caused power shortages as well as several landslides, fallen trees and road closures.
25th: Five rescue workers in the Philippines have been killed in a typhoon that has left homes flooded and millions without electricity. They were washed away in flash floods while carrying out operations in the district of San Miguel, north of the capital Manila. The district was among those hit hard by Typhoon Noru, with some residents seen stranded on their roofs, while others waded through chest-high garbage strewn waters, attempting to pass on supplies. The typhoon caused gusts of up to 240 km/h on Luzon, where more than half of the country's 110 million population live. Noru, known locally as Karding, first made landfall as a super typhoon, but later weakened at 2020 local time (1220 GMT) on Sunday.
27th: Hurricane Ian has torn into western Cuba. Ian made landfall on Tuesday morning in Cuba's Pinar del Río province, where officials had set up 55 shelters, evacuated 50,000 people, rushed in emergency personnel and took steps to protect crops in the island's main tobacco-growing region. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said “significant wind and storm surge impacts” were occurring in western Cuba, with Ian sustaining top winds of 125 mph as it moved over the city of Pinar del Río.
29th: Typhoon Noru struck south of the city of Da Nang in Vietnam, heading westwards to Thailand. Initially a tropical storm, Noru originated in the Philippine Sea on 23 September, propagating westwards while gathering moisture and strengthening. Classified as a very strong typhoon, Noru made landfall in the Philippines on Sunday with 83mph winds. Passing through Manila, a lack of moisture degraded Noru, returning it to typhoon status. It left at least eight dead, five of whom drowned while trying to rescue villagers from rising flood waters. Journeying through central Vietnam, Noru blew roofs off houses and caused widespread blackouts, with winds of 72mph and large thunderstorms. The number of casualties were limited due to more than 800,000 people having evacuated before Noru made landfall. An additional 4,000 people were evacuated from north-eastern Thailand due to a risk of flash floods, stemming from a combination of heavy rainfall and saturated soils following the persistent monsoon season.
29th: Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever to strike the US mainland, has battered south-west Florida with high winds, rain and storm surges as it weakened and moved inland. More than 2 million homes and businesses were left without power as the storm swept ashore in south-west Florida on Wednesday afternoon, bringing “catastrophic” 150 mph winds and a deadly storm surge of up to 18 ft. Hours later, the storm estimated to be about 140 miles wide was downgraded from a category 4 to a category 1 storm as it moved slowly north-east, causing major flooding. The true scale of the damage remained unclear as darkness fell, with power and communications networks down, and emergency services workers forced to take shelter from the worst of the storm. Residential areas in Fort Myers Beach and several other coastal cities were almost completely submerged, buildings were damaged, and trees and power lines brought down. The utility company Florida Power and Light warned those in Ian's path to brace for days without power.
30th: Post-Tropical Cyclone Ian made landfall in South Carolina after carving a swathe of deadly destruction across Florida. Ian returned as a category one hurricane near Georgetown at 1405 local time (1805 GMT) today before losing some power as it moved inland. In coastal South Carolina, Ian damaged four piers and sent torrents of water flooding into neighbourhoods, including in the popular seaside city of Myrtle Beach.

World weather news, August 2022

4th: As of Thursday morning, over 540,000 residents living in the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions of Japan were ordered to evacuate as heavy rains continue falling over the Sea of Japan shoreline, triggering floods and landslides. According to the country's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Mogami River in Nagai, Yamagata Prefecture, overflowed its banks in the early hours of Thursday, flooding homes, roads and railways. Later in the day, the land ministry and Kanazawa Prefecture's meteorological observatory reported that the Kakehashi River, which passes through Ishikawa Prefecture and the districts of Haneda, Ukawa, and Yusenji in the city of Komatsu, had also burst its banks. According to data provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), hourly rainfalls of 100120 mm were observed in many areas in Yamagata. In 24 hours to Wednesday night (3rd), Oguni registered 277 mm while Iide registered 273 mm. Early Thursday morning, 149 mm were registered in just one hour in the Niigata town of Sekikawa. The town recorded 414.5 mm of rain in 24 hours, breaking the previous daily record of 212 mm set in July 2014. Another daily record was broken in the city of Murakami, Niigata on the 3rd with 395.5 mm. Its previous daily rainfall record was 290 mm set in 2005.
4th: Four people have been critically injured after being struck by lightning near the White House. The two men and two women were in Lafayette Park in Washington DC during a violent storm when they were struck down, fire officials said.
6th: Flash flooding after record rainfall in California's Death Valley national park have left nearly 1,000 people stranded, as the deluge left roads closed and cars buried in debris. At least 1.7 inches of rain fell in the Furnace Creek area; the park's average annual rainfall is 1.9 inches.
8th: At least eight people have died and 14 others have been injured as flooding caused by torrential rain hit parts of South Korea's capital Seoul. Heavy downpours on Monday night submerged roads, flooded metro stations and caused blackouts across the city and neighbouring provinces. Some areas received the highest rate of rainfall in 80 years, Korea's meteorological agency said. Images showed floodwater gushing down the steps of metro staircases, parked cars submerged up to their windows and people making their way across streets in knee-high water.
8th: Much of Europe is baking in record heat, which has exposed riverbeds and triggered restrictions on water use in many areas. In the Netherlands the level of the Waal - the main Dutch branch of the River Rhine - has dropped below the bottom marker on a bridge at Nijmegen. The city lies near the German border, and the Rhine is a key artery for cargo vessels and ferries. Parts of the Ijssel river, flowing north, are now so narrow that a ban has been imposed on ships passing each other. And the heat has caused toxic algal blooms to flourish in parts of the Maas and Waal rivers, so people have been warned not to swim there, and to keep their dogs out of the water. The south of Spain is well used to scorching summers - but Andalusia is also one of Europe's main agricultural regions, and crops need irrigation in dry conditions. Growers of avocados and olives are especially worried, as those crops require plenty of water. But reservoirs in the basin of the Guadalquivir - one of Spain's longest rivers - are now only a quarter full. In northern Italy an unexploded World War Two bomb emerged from the dried-up River Po. It was detonated in a controlled explosion on Sunday. Large sections of the 650 km river - a dominant feature of northern Italy - have dried up in the country's worst drought for 70 years. The drought is not bad news for everyone, however. In Le Pouliguen, western France, the evaporation of seawater is producing a record harvest of sea salt. The average yield was about 1.3 tonnes per salt pan over the last 10 years, but this year it is 2.5 tonnes. But the country's historic drought has put pressure on farmers to keep their livestock watered. In some areas, such as the Alps, that means extra journeys to collect water and extra fuel costs. More than 100 French municipalities are short of drinking water, which is being delivered by truck. There are widespread restrictions on watering gardens and golf courses, car-wash facilities have been closed and many fountains are now dry. In Slovenia the drought is taking a heavy toll on crops, the country's agriculture ministry reports. The corn yield is expected to be about half the normal level - and that is a blow especially to livestock farmers, already struggling with a shortage of animal feed. The supply of grass is also lower because of the drought. The yield of pumpkins, potatoes and hops will also be dramatically lower, the ministry says. Even grapes, which normally fare better in sustained heat, are likely to be half the usual quantity for Slovenia's winemakers.
13th: One person has died and at least 40 others injured when high winds caused parts of a stage to collapse at a festival in Spain. Three of the injured in the early hours of Saturday suffered serious trauma, regional emergency services said. Spain's meteorological agency reported gusts of winds exceeding 80 km/h in the country's eastern coastal region at the time.
17th: Torrential rains hit New Zealand's South Island, flooding rivers, houses and roads and forcing roughly 200 households to evacuate. Around 70 homes in Nelson, at the north of the South Island, and a further 140 homes on the West Coast were evacuated. Media footage from the region showed flooded rivers, water washing over roads and teams using rescue boats to check on flooded areas.
18th-19th: Powerful storms have battered areas of central and southern Europe, killing at least 12 people including three children. The deaths, most from falling trees, were reported in Italy and Austria, and on the French island of Corsica. Heavy rain and winds wrecked campsites on the island, while in Venice, Italy, masonry was blown off the belltower of St Mark's Basilica. The storms follow weeks of heatwave and drought across much of the continent. In Corsica, winds gusting up to 140 mph uprooted trees and damaged mobile homes. Boats thrown onto the beach of Sagone in Coggia, Corsica. On the French mainland, some southern areas were hit by power cuts and streets were flooded in the country's second city, Marseille. Heavy rain and mudslides devastated parts of Carinthia, Austria. High winds swept through Venice, blowing cafe umbrellas across St Mark's Square and dislodging brickwork from the cathedral belltower. Seaside resorts in Tuscany and further north in Liguria were damaged by the storms. Tuscan regional leader Eugenio Giani posted a video of a Ferris wheel spinning out of control in high winds at Piombino.
23rd: Two-thirds of Europe is under some sort of drought warning, in what is likely the worst such event in 500 years. The latest report from the Global Drought Observatory says 47% of the continent is in 'warning' conditions, meaning soil has dried up. Another 17% is on alert - meaning vegetation 'shows signs of stress'. The report warns that the dry spell will hit crop yields, spark wildfires, and may last several months more in some of Europe's southern regions. Compared with the average of the previous five years, EU forecasts for harvest are down 16% for grain maize, 15% for soybeans and 12% for sunflowers. The report warned that nearly all of Europe's rivers have dried up to some extent. Hydroelectric power has dropped by a significant 20%, according to the report. The report warns that the situation is worsening in countries including Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Romania, Hungary, northern Serbia, Ukraine, Moldova, Ireland and the UK. The researchers' stark warning follows rapidly sinking river levels across Europe which have exposed relics of the past - including so-called 'hunger stones' warning of potential famine and the sunken remains of World War Two warships.
23rd: Millions of Americans are under flood warnings after heavy rain this weekend in a large portion of the south and south-western US, where high waters submerged vehicles in Texas and swept hikers in Arizona off their feet. Government meteorologists issued flood warnings for more than 13 million people after torrential rainfall created life-threatening conditions in a region including north-east Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and New Mexico. On Monday, rains across the drought-stricken Dallas-Fort Worth area caused streets to flood, submerging vehicles as officials warned motorists to stay off the roads and water seeped into some homes and businesses. Some parts of Dallas saw more that nearly 10 inches of rain within 24 hours, and hundreds of flights in and out of Dallas-Fort Worth international airport were delayed or cancelled.
25th: Residents in China's southwestern provinces are taking creative measures to deal with a record heat wave that has seen temperatures exceed 40C. Those in Chongqing and neighbouring Sichuan are heading into underground bunkers and cave restaurants in an attempt to seek shelter from the heat. Some experts say the intensity of the heatwave could make it one of the worst recorded in global history. The prolonged heatwave has exacerbated a severe drought in China.
26th: More than 33 million people have been affected by historic rains and floods that have swept Pakistan, according to the country's climate minister. Since June, more than 900 people have died in monsoon rains and floods that continue to break weather records. Climate minister Sherry Rehman said the country was now going through its eighth monsoon cycle 'while normally the country only has three to four cycles of rain'. Since the summer season began, multiple monsoon cycles have lashed Pakistan, causing huge floods that have destroyed over 400,000 homes across the country.
30th: The floods in Pakistan have now submerged a third of the country. At least 1136 people have been killed so far and roads, crops, homes and bridges washed away across the country. This year's record monsoon is comparable to the devastating floods of 2010 - the deadliest in Pakistan's history - which left more than 2000 people dead.
30th: A 20-month-old child has died in Spain after being struck on the head by a hailstone. About 50 other people reported injuries - ranging from bruises to bone fractures - from the freak 10-minute-long storm that hit the Girona region of Catalonia in the evening. It destroyed roofs, downed power cables and shattered windows. One of the hailstones measured 10 cm in diameter, Catalonia's meteorological service said. It was the largest to rain down on the region since 2002.

World weather news, July 2022

3rd: Tens of thousands residents have been told to evacuate their homes in Sydney, following torrential rain and flash flooding in Australia's largest city. Roads have been cut off, with 18 evacuation orders in western Sydney alone and warnings of more to come. The area was also hit by flash flooding in March, killing 20 people. The warnings came as the Bureau of Meteorology said up to 350 mm of rain had hit certain areas, risking flooding along the Nepean River.
5th: A cluster of powerful thunderstorms swept through the Northern Plains and Midwest, USA, bringing destructive winds and flooding rain from South Dakota to northern Iowa. The storm left more than 30,000 customers without power, extensive damage and at least 4 people injured. The NWS Storm Prediction Center received 255 reports of damaging winds and hail, most of which came from the derecho in South Dakota and Iowa. The strongest winds were registered in Howard, South Dakota at 99 mph, followed by Huron, South Dakota at 96 mph.
7th: Governments from Portugal to Italy are calling on citizens to limit water use to a bare minimum due to severe drought and scarce rainfall. The situation is most dramatic in northern Italy where unusually low levels of River Po the country's largest river, are transforming Italy's largest fertile region, affecting crop production and threatening the densely populated region with a serious drinking shortage. Similar conditions are affecting River Dora Baltea. Together with River Po, Dora Balta feeds one of the most important agricultural regions in entire Europe. Rivers and streams in the Po district are at critical levels due to scarce winter precipitation, both snow and rain, causing severe to extremely severe drought conditions not seen in the region in 70 years, Po River Basin Authority said. More than 100 cities have been called on to limit water consumption as much as possible.
11th: Droughts and forest fires have hit Spain and Portugal and the heat has spread to France and the UK. The heat sweeping across Spain is unusual in that it is affecting almost the whole of the country. High temperatures are often registered in the summer months, particularly in southern and central areas of the country. That is certainly the case during this heatwave, with Andalusia, Castilla La Mancha and Extremadura all seeing temperatures in the low 40s C so far this week. However, northern Spain, which usually avoids extreme temperatures, is also being hit, with the north-western region of Galicia on red alert - the highest category - as it braces itself for temperatures of up to 42C in the Mino valley. Air quality is poor in many areas across the north because of the heat. That adds to existing health concerns caused by the hot weather, which mean that the streets of towns and villages tend to be much quieter in the afternoon. An unprecedented 80% of mainland Portugal is at 'exceptional' risk of fires, according to national meteorological institute IPMA. On Tuesday there were 849 firefighters in action at the scene of 30 fires, only three of which were deemed not under control. That is down from well over 2,000 the day before. Several major fires burning over the weekend have now been extinguished or brought under control, though not before consuming thousands of hectares of forest. In the popular tourist destination of Sintra, near Lisbon, the national palaces, castle and other attractions are closed by government order. Temperatures in France are set to reach 39C in some areas of the south-west in a heatwave that will last between eight and 10 days, according to Meteo France. Thursday's 14 July Bastille Day will be somewhat less colourful, with fire risks leading to the cancellation of firework displays in some areas of the country.
17th: Firefighters in Portugal, Spain, France, Greece and Morocco are battling forest fires raging across tens of thousands of hectares as this week's heatwave continues to bring extreme temperatures and cause hundreds of deaths across south-western Europe. The second heatwave of the summer with temperatures hitting 47C in Portugal and 45C in Spain has triggered wildfires that have forced the evacuation of thousands of people. In Portugal, the meteorological institute has forecast temperatures of up to 42C, with no respite before next week. The civil defence authorities, however, took advantage of a slight drop in temperatures after a July record of 47C on Thursday to try to stamp out one remaining major fire in the north of the country.
20th: Heat records tumbled and firefighters faced new blazes as much of Western Europe baked in a gruelling heatwave. The UK, normally used to milder climates, saw temperatures of more than 40C for the first time. In addition to record temperatures in the UK, several fire services declared major incidents after a surge in fires. A major blaze in Wennington, east London, set homes alight. Residents who had to be evacuated told the BBC that some eight homes and possibly a local church had been destroyed in the fire, while a firefighter at the scene described it as 'absolute hell'. In France, 64 different areas registered record-high temperatures on Monday. Although the all-time high for mainland France has not been topped, the south-west of the country has experienced its biggest wildfires in more than 30 years. Since 12 July, fires have engulfed more than 20,300 hectares of the wine-growing Gironde region. Nearly 37,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes. In Belgium, a fire broke out in dunes at the Belgian resort of De Haan, setting several vehicles alight. Weather warnings are still in place in Germany as the heatwave continues to move north and east. On the 19th, the country experienced its hottest day of 2022. The national weather service recorded 39.5C in the western city of Duisburg. The Netherlands also reached the same high of 39.5C in Maastricht. Temperatures in Portugal have decreased significantly. However, more than 1,000 heatwave-related deaths have been recorded since last week. Central and north-western Spain has also been ravaged by wildfires. In Greece, a wildfire fuelled by gale-force winds raged on the mountainous region of Penteli, near Athens. It damaged homes and prompted local authorities to evacuate at least four areas and a hospital. Forecasters in Italy are warning of temperatures as high as 40-42C between Wednesday (20th) and Friday. Several wildfires have already been reported in the country, and blazes that broke out on Monday (18th) evening in Tuscany were still raging on Tuesday afternoon.
23rd: Flooding in southern Iran has killed at least 22 people and left one person missing after heavy rainfall in the largely arid country. Videos posted on local and social media on Saturday showed vehicles being carried away by the rising waters of the Roodball river in the southern province of Fars. One video showed adults pulling a child from a car as it began to shift downstream. Flooding affected several towns in and around the Estahban county area of the country.
26th: Lightning strikes have killed 20 people across eight districts of the eastern Indian state of Bihar in just 24 hours. More thunderstorm with lightning has been forecast in northern parts of the state for Wednesday and Thursday. Hundreds die in India every year in lightning incidents during monsoon rains. One of the reasons cited for the high number of deaths is the large number of people working outdoors in India compared to other parts of the world, which makes them more vulnerable.
26th: A long-running heatwave in China has pushed electricity usage to record levels in some areas and led to blackouts, with warnings that the high temperatures are expected to continue for at least another week. More than 300 cities were forecast to reach temperatures above 35C today. China Southern Power Grid Company said Monday's usage had surpassed last year's peak load by 3%. The Guangdong province power grid also hit a record high, reaching 142m kilowatts, an increase of 4.89% over last year's peak load. Blackouts were reported in the provincial capital, Guangzhou, which has recorded a full week of maximum temperatures above 37C, including highs of 40C on Sunday and Monday. Saturday (23rd) marked the 'Great Heat' day on China's traditional calendar, long recognised as the hottest period of the year. Earlier this month, Shanghai recorded its highest air temperature - 40.9C - since records began in 1873.
26th: Historic levels of rainfall fell over St. Louis, Missouri overnight into today, causing widespread flash flooding. In the first 7 hours of the day, St. Louis recorded 204.7 mm of rainfall, breaking the previous all-time daily rainfall record from 20 August 1915, of 173.9 mm brought by remnants of the Galveston 1915 Hurricane. Some storm rainfall totals have reached 150250 mm, according to the National Weather Service, with rainfall rates of 2575 mm/h. Isolated rainfall rates up to 125 mm/h were also reported. At least 37 (as of 2 August) people are known to have died as a results of the floods.

World weather news, June 2022

3rd-4th: At least two people have died in Cuba's capital, Havana, after the remnants of Hurricane Agatha brought heavy rain and floods to the Caribbean island. The Cuban weather service said the downpours would last until Saturday afternoon, bringing more than 200 mm of rain to some places. Western and central areas of the country, including Havana, are the worst affected. Nearly 2,000 people have evacuated their homes in Havana, and around 50,000 people in and around the city are without electricity. The storm is the remnant of Hurricane Agatha, which hit Mexico's west coast last week killing nine people.
4th: Fierce thunderstorms and hailstorms around France left one woman dead and 14 people injured, ravaged vineyards and delayed flights. Lightning hit the Eiffel Tower, without causing damage, and set roofs on fire east of Paris, according to local authorities. Residents of south-west France posted photos online of hail the size of tennis balls, and drivers in the Paris region shared images of flooded highways and daytime skies blackened by thunder clouds. Thousands of households remained without electricity on Sunday after the storms struck across France on Saturday, according to utility Enedis. Flights out of Paris's Orly Airport were temporarily suspended on Saturday, and there were delays at Charles de Gaulle Airport. A woman swept away by flooding was found dead under a car in the historic Normandy city of Rouen, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin tweeted. The circumstances of her death were unclear. In the Loire Valley, thousands of young people who were taking part in a huge Scout gathering had to take refuge in the Chateau of Chambord as hail, thunder and lightning pounded the area. The chateau director told public broadcaster France-Info that some children were treated for signs of hypothermia but no serious injuries were reported.
4th-5th: The National Hurricane Center declared that the first tropical storm of the Atlantic season formed on the 5th, less than a day after its origins deluged South Florida, unloading up to 15 inches of rain and flooding parts of Miami. The storm named Alex was born at 2 a.m. Sunday as it moved across the Atlantic on a path toward Bermuda. Even though it wasn't a named storm while passing South Florida, the slow-moving conglomeration of thunderstorms unloaded up to 15 inches of rain over two days. In downtown Miami, the torrents turned some streets into rivers, submerging and stranding scores of vehicles. The National Weather Service received reports of nearly 15 inches of rain in Hollywood and Margate. Miami International Airport registered about 9 inches of rain or roughly an entire month's worth.
6th: The latest round of heavy rain affecting China's Jiangxi Province since May 28, 2022, affected nearly 800,000 people. The rainfall wreaked havoc in the province's 80 counties, damaged 76,300 ha of crops, and caused direct economic losses of 1.16 billion yuan (about 174 million U.S. dollars), according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters. Many villagers from Ganzhou City have been evacuated after heavy rains triggered floods on June 6. Downpours battered the Ganxian District of the city from 0300 to 0900 GMT on the 6th, with the accumulated rainfall reaching 265 mm, inundating croplands and roads.
8th: The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has warned residents living in southeast Queensland of frosty mornings and single-digit temperatures throughout the month as well below June average temperatures descend over much of southeast Australia. Some parts of the state are experiencing their lowest June temperatures in more than 100 years. “It‘s usually the last week of June that we get temperatures as cold as this, so it's unusual to have it this cold at the start of June,” Meteorologist Helen Reid said. The coldest parts of the state on June 7 were down on the flat country in Darling Downs, with some areas sitting at 1C or 2C, Reid said.
13th: A second extreme heat event of the year is searing Spain and southern France, with temperatures hitting highs not normally recorded until July or August and experts warning summer heatwaves are happening earlier and more often. The French state forecaster, Meteo France, said temperatures had already exceeded 35C close to the Mediterranean and would rise further from midweek as the hot air mass moved northwards, with parts of the south-west and Rhone valley reaching 39C.
14th: Record flooding and rockslides following a burst of heavy rains prompted the rare closure on Monday of all five entrances to Yellowstone national park (USA) at the start of the summer tourist season, the park superintendent said. The entire park, spanning parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, will remain closed to visitors, including those with lodging and camping reservations, at least through Wednesday, as officials assess damage to roads, bridges and other facilities. All five park entrances were closed to inbound traffic for the first summer since a series of devastating wildfires in 1988. The National Park Service was working to reach visitors and staff remaining at various locations, especially in the hardest-hit northern flank of Yellowstone, officials said. The flooding and slides were triggered by days of torrential showers in the park and steady rains across much of the wider region after one of its wettest springs in many years. The park service characterized the levels of rainfall and flooding sweeping the park as unprecedented.
17th: Cherrapunji, the wettest place on earth, recorded 2,456 mm of rain over the last three days triggering one of the worst floods and landslides in Meghalaya in recent years. Nearly ten people have died in Meghalaya and Assam due to rainfall-related accidents this week. According to the rainfall data maintained by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the rainfall recorded in Cherrapunji since June 1 was 4067 mm. Over the last three days, large areas of Meghalaya, particularly around Sohra, have been battered by extremely heavy rainfall. For three consecutive days since the 15th, the 24-hour rainfall recorded in Cherrapunji was 811 mm, 673.6 mm and 972 mm. These include the third wettest (June 17) and the eighth wettest (June 15) day in June in 122 years. Strong and consistent inflow of moist south-westerly winds reaching northeast India for the past one week has resulted in this deluge, meteorologists at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Such winds and local orographic and weather factors too contributed to such high rainfall over northeast India. Such extreme rainfall comes after last month's surplus rainfall over the northeast India region. Between March and May this year, Meghalaya received 93 per cent surplus and had ended up as one of the wettest northeastern states.
17th: Outdoor public events have been banned in an area of France as a record breaking heatwave sweeps across Europe. Concerts and large public gatherings have been called off in the Gironde department around Bordeaux. On Thursday 16th, parts of France hit 40C earlier in the year than ever before, with temperatures expected to peak on Saturday. Spain, Italy and the UK are also experiencing high temperatures. State forecaster Meteo France said it was the earliest hot spell ever to hit the country, which has been caused by a mass of hot air moving from north Africa. The increased use of air-conditioners and fans was forcing France to import electricity from neighbouring countries, grid operator RTE said. In Spain, which has just experienced its hottest May since the beginning of the century, temperatures are forecast to hit highs of 43C this weekend, the Aemet weather service said. There have been forest fires in Catalonia, including one which could grow to 20,000 hectares before it's contained, the regional government said. Water is so low in large stretches of Italy's largest river, the Po, that locals can walk through the middle of the expanse of sand and wartime shipwrecks are resurfacing.
17th: Nepal is preparing to move its Everest base camp because global warming and human activity are making it unsafe. The camp, used by up to 1,500 people in the spring climbing season, is situated on the rapidly thinning Khumbu glacier. A new site is to be found at a lower altitude, where there is no year-round ice, an official said. Researchers say melt-water destabilises the glacier, and climbers say crevasses are increasingly appearing at base camp while they sleep.
20th: At least 59 people are known to have died in lightning strikes and landslides triggered by severe monsoon storms in India and Bangladesh. Millions of people have been stranded while emergency workers have struggled to reach those affected. Forecasters are warning that the flooding is expected to get worse over the next few days. Some Bangladesh government officials have described the recent flooding as the country's worst since 2004. Unrelenting rains over the last week have inundated vast swathes of the country's north-east region, exacerbated by run-off from heavy downpours across mountains in neighbouring India. Schools have been converted into makeshift shelters, while troops have been deployed to evacuate households cut off from neighbouring communities as a result of rising waters.
21st: According to China's National Meteorological Center, the average rainfall in Guangdong, Fujian and Guangxi provinces between early May and the middle of June reached 621 mm (24 inches) which is the highest since 1961. The rains caused major floods in the low-lying Pearl River basin, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate and threatening manufacturing, shipping and logistics operations. In Guangdong, more than 200,000 people have been evacuated and the current damage is estimated at $254 million USD. The city of Shaoguan, Guangdong issued a Red Flood alert this morning, after multiple rural counties and the major city of Foshan upgraded their flood warnings in recent days. The city of Foshan was hit by a destructive tornado on the 19th, the second damaging tornado to hit the province within just 3 days.
22nd: Officials reopened part of the Yellowstone National Park (USA), but residents in one nearby city are worried that too much damage has been done to provide a successful summer tourism season. This followed a historic flooding event at the park this past week temporarily caused the closure of all entrances. The Yellowstone area received four times the normal amount of rainfall since the beginning of June, with one month's worth of rain falling on the 12th. By the next day, the situation had become severe enough that some 10,000 people were forced to evacuate the park.
27th: A rare tornado hit the coastal city of Zierikzee, Zeeland Province, southwestern Netherlands, leaving a trail of damage, one person dead and 10 others injured. The Netherlands experiences a few tornadoes per year, but this is the first to hit the country since 1992. Deadly tornadoes were also recorded in 1967, 1972 and 1981. The twister caused considerable damage in several streets as it ripped the roofs off homes and toppled trees onto cars.
27th: Record-breaking June temperatures are engulfing Japan, prompting authorities to issue heatstroke advisories and warn of power outages. Unusually high temperatures for the time of the year are expected to last at least until early July. The capital Tokyo registered 35.7C today, making it its daily record high. The city has also had temperatures above 35C for three days in a row, making it the first time for June since records started in 1875.
29th: Tokyo recorded temperatures above 35C today for a fifth consecutive day, marking the worst documented streak of hot weather in June since records started in 1875. Meanwhile, the city of Isesaki, northwest of the capital, saw a record 40.2C - the highest temperature ever recorded in June for Japan.
27th-30th: Intense heat across much of Europe has seen June temperature records broken from the Arctic Circle to North Africa in N and E areas of the continent. Norway recorded a temperature of 32.5C at Banak on Wednesday, reportedly the highest temperature ever recorded within the Arctic Circle in Europe, and significantly higher than the June average of 13C. Poland saw temperatures reach the mid-thirties on Monday, and parts of eastern Germany saw several locations reach 37C. June temperature records were also broken in Slovenia and Croatia, while Bosnia and Herzegovina saw temperatures 0.2 degC below the June record at 41C. The extreme heat has also extended to North Africa, where temperatures in Tunisia equalled its monthly record of 48.7C on Monday. Elsewhere in Europe, an outbreak of thunderstorms caused a devastating mudslide in southern Austria, killing one person and flooding houses and roads in the Carinthia region.

World weather news, May 2022

1st: A thick cloud of orange dust has turned the skies over Iraq orange, as a major dust storm hit large parts of the country. Flights have been grounded at airports in Baghdad and Najaf airports due to poor visibility. Dust storms have become increasingly common in the Middle East, with experts blaming a combination of climate change and mismanagement of land and water. In some places in Iraq on Saturday, visibility was limited to less than 500 metres. Iraq experienced a series of dust storms last month, with dozens needing hospital treatment for respiratory problems.
2nd: Heavy rainfall has been affecting Guadeloupe (overseas Department of France in the Leeward Islands, Lesser Antilles) since 30 April, causing floods and triggering landslides that have resulted in casualties and damage. Media reports mention two fatalities, of which one in Le Gosier Town and one more in Les Abymes City (the most populous city of Guadeloupe), both in the Grande-Terre Island. In addition several closed roads and a number of power outages were reported across the Grande-Terre Island.
2nd: A severe hailstorm struck Murcia, causing major damage to the apricot crop. The Region of Murcia is located in the southeast part of the Iberian Peninsula and produces two-thirds of Spain's apricots. The storm comes one month after early April frost caused massive damage to stone fruit in Ebro valley, one of the most important producing areas of sweet fruit in Europe.
2nd-4th: Tropical parts of south-east Asia have seen unusually low temperatures for the time of year. On the 2nd, the Hong Kong Observatory reached 16.4C. This was the lowest May temperature recorded since 1917, and broke the previous record set in 2013. The southern Chinese city of Guangzhou observed a temperature of just 13.7C on the same day, the lowest temperature ever recorded during May. On 4 May, a minimum temperature of 13.6C was also recorded in the Umphang district, Thailand. This is the lowest temperature ever recorded in May in Thailand.
11th: Much of Queensland, Australia experienced unseasonably heavy rain and flooding this week, with parts of the state receiving between 3 to 4 months worth of rain in 48 to 72 hours. Several households experienced power outages in Brisbane City, while floodwaters have cut almost 300 road sections across coastal Queensland. More than 100 mm of rainfall was recorded in 24 hours for coastal areas in Queensland, between Cairns and Townsville, and in Brisbane City, rising several dams at critical severity levels and forcing authorities to release water from Wivenhoe, Somerset and North Pine dams. In just 24 hours, 233 mm of rain fell at Major Creek, south of Townsville. 313.2 mm of rain were recorded at South Johnstone in 72 hours. This includes 191.4 mm in 24 hours, which is the highest daily total for May since 1964. 85 mm fell at Hughenden in 48 hours, which is 4.8 times their May monthly average. Townsville Airport recorded 102 mm of rain in 24 hours three times its May monthly average and the 2nd wettest May day on record.
13th: Hundreds have been forced to evacuate from their homes due to a swift-moving wildfire in southern California that has torched some 20 mansions so far. The Coastal fire in Orange County, south of Los Angeles, has grown to 199 acres since it began on Wednesday 11th. Meanwhile, the largest wildfire in the US has burned around 170 homes in New Mexico, and continues to threaten communities and businesses. The fire season is off to an early start, partly due to a decades-long drought.
16th: An intense heatwave is sweeping through northern India with temperatures hitting a record 49.2C in parts of the capital, Delhi. Officials in many parts of the country have asked people to take precautions as temperatures are set to remain high. They warned the heat could cause health concerns for the vulnerable, including infants, the elderly and people with chronic diseases. The states of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Bihar have particularly witnessed soaring temperatures in the past few days, India's weather department said.
18th: Uruguay has been hit by strong winds and high waves as subtropical cyclone Yakecan swept through the South American nation. A 23-year-old man was killed when a tree fell on his house amid gusts of 98 km/h in the capital, Montevideo. Seaside roads were covered in foam whipped up by the waves. After battering Uruguay, Cyclone Yakecan moved north to Brazil, where it caused widespread power cuts. In southern Brazil 220,000 homes were left without power as Yakecan blew over trees which in turn cut power lines.
18th: Several southern French towns sizzled in record high temperatures for May, while the month as whole is on track to be the hottest since records began, the national weather service said. Towns such as Albi, Toulouse and Montelimar in southern France set records of between 33.4C to 33.9C, while areas on the west and northern coasts also logged unprecedented highs, Meteo-France said. The country has been in the grip of an extraordinary warm spell for this time of year, with the last 37 days in a row featuring temperatures above the average. It was 'highly probable' that May 2022 would be the hottest since records began, surpassing the previous high set in May 2011, Meteo-France said.
18th-19th: Temperatures in Brazil began dropping with the approach of Subtropical Storm Yakecan eventually reaching unprecedented lows in the country's south. At least one person has died of hypothermia in Sao Paulo. The Federal District recorded 1.4C on the 19th its coldest temperature in history while Sao Paulo set a new record with 6.6C on the 18th, temperatures unheard of since 1990. Belo Horizonte, the capital city of Minas Gerais, recorded 4.4C its lowest temperature since 1979. Santa Catarina registered -2C and the first snowfall in 15 years.
19th: A severe hailstorm swept over parts of Bihar, India, destroying crops and homes, and leaving at least 33 people dead. The storm follows several weeks of scorching heat and meteorologists said more rains accompanied by gusty winds and hail storms could hit the region ahead of the monsoon season. A large number of trees were uprooted across the state, while lightning and strong winds disrupted traffic. A tree fell on a power substation near the Patna high court, leaving many areas in the state capital without power.
20th: A tornado left 43 people injured as it 'cut a path of destruction' through several towns in western Germany, police said. Officers in the city of Paderborn said the tornado ripped off roofs and debris was strewn around for kilometres. Ten people have serious injuries and one woman's life is in danger, they said. A 38-year-old man also died in severe storms which lashed the region. Police posted images showing trees felled or split in half and roofs stripped of tiles, while images on social media appeared to show a tornado's spinning column of air flinging debris. 'Sheet metal, insulation and other materials were blown kilometres away. Countless roofs are covered or badly damaged. Many trees still lie on destroyed cars,' said police in Paderborn, which has a population of about 150,000.
20th-21st: Parts of Spain are experiencing their hottest May ever with temperatures of more than 40C in some places, according to the state weather agency, AEMET. The agency issued heat warnings in 10 regions for Saturday, saying it could be 'one of the most intense' heatwaves in years. The city of Jaen in southern Spain recorded its highest ever May temperature of 40C on Friday.
21st: Nearly 900,000 homes in southern Canada were left without power on Saturday after a severe storm hit the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Seven people were killed by falling trees and a woman died when a boat capsized in the Ottawa River. Wind gusts reached 82 mph during the storm, according to Environment Canada. Power company Hydro One, which covers Ontario, said it would take several days to reconnect every home. Meanwhile, Hydro Quebec said 550,000 homes there lost power, with nearly 400,000 still suffering power cuts as of 1000 h local time on the 22nd.
22nd: Days of flooding and landslides in parts of Bangladesh and eastern India, have affected millions of people and left more than 50 people dead. Bangladesh's north-east region has seen some of the worst flooding for nearly two decades.
22nd: Iraq closed public buildings and temporarily shut airports as the ninth sandstorm since mid-April descended. More than 1,000 people were hospitalised with respiratory problems, the health ministry said. Flights were also grounded in neighbouring Kuwait for a second time this month. The second heavy sandstorm in less than a week also descended on Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh.
26th-27th: A hundred people are now known to have died as torrential rain triggered landslides and torrents of mud near the city of Recife in north-east Brazil. Rescue workers continued the search for people still missing after poor neighbourhoods and shanty towns were swept away in the region. Deadly flooding and landslides have killed hundreds of people in Brazil over the past year. Experts link the bad weather to La Nina, a climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean that can affect weather worldwide.

World weather news, April 2022

1st-4th: Unseasonably cold weather hit parts of Europe over the weekend, following warmer-than-normal temperatures in previous weeks that caused rapid greening of flora. Damage to agriculture is widespread but it seems it's not as bad as it was last year when a similar cold episode happened. The worst affected countries were France, Germany, Spain and Austria. 'It's still difficult to evaluate the damage caused by the frost, but orchards and vineyards have been impacted,' Jean-Marc Touzard, director of research at the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), said. The French national minimum temperatures dropped to -1.5C overnight Sunday and early Monday (3-4 April), marking the country's coldest April morning since 1947, according to data provided by Meteo France. While Mourmelon in the Marne department east of Paris saw record temperatures of -9.3C, French mountainous regions recorded -21.5C, setting a new April record. For France, April 1 -3 were the coldest first three days of April since at least 1930, according to French meteorologist Guillaume Séchet. Growers across the affected regions burned candles, sprayed water and used wind turbines in efforts to protect their crops from freezing temperatures, AFP reported.
2nd: At least 16 people have been killed and 16 others remain missing after record-breaking rains triggered severe flash floods and landslides in the Baixada Fluminense and Costa Verde regions of Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Heavy rains across the state began on 31 March and continued through Saturday, April 2. Firefighters confirmed the deaths of six people in Angra, and six more deaths in the nearby municipalities of Paraty and Mesquita. At least 16 people were still missing. The worst affected was the popular tourist town of Paraty, located on the Costa Verde (Green Coast), a lush green corridor that runs along the coastline of the state of Rio de Janeiro. A destructive landslide hit the town's Ponta Negra neighbourhood on Saturday, killing a mother and five of her children. In all, seven houses were swept away in landslides in the city, and another four people were injured. 71 families were forced from their homes. The municipality of Angra dos Reis received 809 mm of rain in 48 hours to 2 April, causing deadly floods and landslides. The volume of rain registered in the 48 hours was the highest on record in Angra dos Reis, according to the city's municipal government.
4th: A rare hailstorm blasted parts of South Florida, coating the ground in white chunks of ice. Pings from the hailstones, which ranged from nuisance pea-sized hail to hail the size of golf balls, drew the attention of Floridians who live as far south as Miami. The large hail caused significant damage to property in parts of Highlands County, which is to the north of Florida's Lake Okeechobee. Photos on social media showed car windows with holes punctured by the hail, with the stones also causing roof damage to area homes.
4th: Intense storms blitzed across northern Texas Monday night, pelting the area with large hail and heavy rain. Over 30,000 electric customers were without power early Tuesday morning in the wake of the storms, according to PowerOutage.US. The number of outages has gradually been falling as crews work to turn on the lights for residents and businesses across the region affected by At least one person in East Texas was killed Monday night amid the storms when strong winds toppled a tree over his home. Alvarado, Texas, located 30 miles south of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, was one of the hardest-hit areas Monday night when a storm system raced through the area. Smoke could be seen billowing into the sky early on Tuesday morning after lightning from the storm sparked multiple fires, including a fire at a pallet yard. In the neighbouring city of Midlothian, Texas, strong winds knocked over a tractor-trailer as a storm tracked south of Dallas.
6th-7th: Sydney, Australia is experiencing the third major flooding event this year, forcing authorities to issue evacuation orders for thousands of residents. Flood warnings for minor to major flooding in the Hawkesbury-Nepean and Georges rivers have been issued by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, with major flooding possible for Menangle, Liverpool and Milperra this afternoon. Sydney received nearly a month's worth of April rain (126.5 mm) overnight into the 7th, causing rivers to rise, turning streets into rivers and forcing thousands to evacuate.
8th: Since December, there has been very little precipitation in Northern Italy. This lack of precipitation also reflected in poor snow accumulation combined with mild winter temperatures, led to low soil moisture and low water level in the reservoirs and lakes. A winter temperature anomaly of +2.1 degC and an average precipitation deficit of 65% (compared to the 1991-2020 average) have been observed too. Researchers indicate that such a combination of mild and dry winter has not occurred in Lombardy, Piedmont and southern Switzerland in the past 30 years. Severely drier than normal weather conditions are also predicted in the coming months, causing concern for the evolution of the current drought that could become an extreme drought event.
10th-13th: At least 167 people have been killed in landslides and floods after Tropical Storm Megi devastated the Philippines. Rescue crews were still looking for survivors in flooded villages on the 13th, digging through mud and wading through chest-high water. However the death toll from Sunday's natural disaster is only expected to climb, officials say. Villages around Baybay city in the central Leyte province are worse hit. There, hillside avalanches and overflowing rivers wiped out homes and buried many people alive. In one village, Pilar, about 80% of the houses had been washed out to sea, a government official told news agency AFP. Philippines national disaster agency has also reported deaths in the southern Davao region, Mindanao and in the central Negros Orientals province. More than 100,000 people in southern and eastern Philippines islands have been affected by the storm, authorities say.
10th-14th: Heavy rainfall continues falling over eastern South Africa, particularly over the Province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), since the 10th, causing floods and landslides. On the 13th, authorities reported at least 300 fatalities. An unknown number of people are missing and the death toll is expected to rise. The city of Durban and KZN's south-eastern parts have been put under orange alert level 8 by the South African Weather Service. The system responsible for the heavy rain continued to intensify and RSMC La Reunion named it Subtropical Depression 'Issa' at 1200 GMT on the 12th. Residents are advised to stay clear of flooded roads and bridges and avoid travel if possible. People living in low-lying areas are urged to move to higher ground; those who fear their homes may collapse should seek shelter in community halls. At 1800 GMT on the 12th, the centre of Subtropical Depression 'Issa' was located about 155 km SSE of Durban, South Africa. Issa had a maximum average 10-minute wind speed of 95 km/h and a central pressure of 994 mb.
19th: A spring storm has caused power outages across states in the north-eastern US, with over a foot of snow falling in some places. Some 300,000 customers lost electricity, 200,000 of them in New York state. Several other north-eastern states had winter storm warnings in place from the National Weather Service (NWS). It was feared that heavy, wet snow could bring down tree limbs, with the NWS warning of wind gusts up to 40 mph. New York officials said people should try to stay off the roads if they can. The New York state town of Binghamton set a two-day record for the month of April with 14.5 inches of snow as of Tuesday morning. The town of Virgil, New York, reported 18 inches of snow, reaching the highest level of predicted snowfall. Albany, New York, the state capital, experienced thundersnow.
29th: India's weather department has issued a severe heatwave warning as temperatures soar, throwing millions of lives and livelihoods out of gear. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a gradual rise in maximum temperatures by 2-4 degC over most parts of north-western and central India this week, with 'no large change thereafter'. While heatwaves are common in India, especially in May and June, summer began early this year with high temperatures from March itself - average maximum temperatures in the month were the highest in 122 years. Heatwaves also began setting in during the month. This week, the temperature in the capital, Delhi, is expected to cross 44C.
30th: A tornado has been filmed tearing through part of the US state of Kansas, with pictures showing cars crumpled into buildings and homes without roofs. The National Weather Service has issued severe thunderstorm warnings for Midwest states including Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska. In the city of Wichita, the mayor said 50 to 100 structures had been damaged, especially in the suburb of Andover. However there are so far no reports of serious injuries. At a press conference on Saturday morning, local officials said there had been no deaths, despite the extent of the damage to buildings and cars.

World weather news, March 2022

3rd: Widespread flooding, described by authorities as unprecedented, continues affecting parts of eastern Australia. After more than a year's worth of rain fell in just a couple of days, more heavy rain is in the forecast, as well as giant hail and destructive winds. At least 9 people have died in Queensland and another 3 in New South Wales Multiple moderate to major flood warnings are in place for the lower Logan River, Weir, Moonie, Condamine and Balonne rivers, and a Flood Watch has been issued for southeast Queensland for renewed river rises. Observations include giant hail around 5 to 6 cm in size being recorded west of Inglewood at midnight, 2nd/3rd.
5th: Four of the seven people killed in devastating storms that tore through central Iowa on Saturday were members of the same family who sought shelter inside a home that was razed by a powerful tornado, authorities said. The storms damaged or destroyed other homes and downed power lines and trees, causing some power outages. The tornadoes were followed by winter storms that dropped about 5 inches of snow in central Iowa and 6.5 inches in Mount Vernon in eastern Iowa. The storms were the deadliest in Iowa since May 2008, when a tornado destroyed nearly 300 homes and killed nine in the northern city of Parkersburg. Another tornado a month later killed four boys at the Little Sioux Boy Scout ranch in western Iowa.
8th: Tens of thousands of Sydney residents have been told to evacuate their homes as floods ravage eastern Australia. In the past fortnight, New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland have been affected by heavy downpours that have caused floods and killed 20 people. The threat has now intensified in Sydney, which has been hit by widespread flash-flooding. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said 40,000 residents in the state had been ordered to evacuate, and another 20,000 people were on standby. He added that a dam in the suburb of Manly had begun to spill, and a flooded river was threatening lives in the city's southwest. There was also a 'substantial catastrophe' in the state's north, where more than 800 people had been placed in temporary accommodation.
13th-14th: After a rare snowstorm hit Istanbul this weekend, more than 400 flights were cancelled. Normally, at this time of year temperatures would normally be abut 8.5C. Meanwhile, parts of Greece and Cyprus were hit by a storm dubbed 'Filippos' which caused temperatures to plummet and brought heavy snowfall in Athens and surrounding areas. In Afidnes, near Athens, where snow was at least half a metre deep, residents were not prepared for such weather.
15th: Spanish skies have been turned orange by Sarahan dust; an area of hot air covered the Mediterranean country this morning as people woke up to an eerie glowing sky. Storm Celia has been responsible for bringing the dust from the desert to southern parts of Spain, with Madrid and Murcia among the places affected. Laboratorio de Climatologia at the University of Alicante has warned people against staying outside for long periods. Spanish officials have issued extremely poor air quality ratings, with locals in some parts told to avoid exercising altogether. The air change has also affected the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands.
15th: At least 60 homes were buried by a landslide in La Libertad, a mountainous area of northern Peru around 0830 LT. At least 7 people are missing and there are fears there could be dozens buried under the rubble. The slide took place in the Cinco Esquinas sector, the Retamas district of the province of Pataz, after a period of intense rains.
17th-20th: Temperatures in Antarctica reached record levels at the weekend, an astonishing 40 degC above normal in places. At the same time, weather stations near the north pole also showed signs of ice melting, with some temperatures 30 degC above normal, hitting levels normally attained far later in the year. At this time of year, the Antarctic should be rapidly cooling after its summer, and the Arctic only slowly emerging from its winter, as days lengthen. For both poles to show such heating at once is unprecedented. The warmest temperature ever recorded in a permanent weather station of the Antarctic Plateau in 66 operational years was reached during an unprecedented heatwave in the Concordia-Dome C research station on the 18th; at Concordia -11.5C was reached at 0427 GMT. A powerful inflow of warm winds from Australia brought temperatures over East Antarctica up to 47 degC above average. The warm air mass has also been making parts of SE Australia feel unseasonably warm. On the 17th the town of Hobart climbed almost 10 degC above average to reach 29.2C, while some places in the area had their warmest March day in several years.
21st: Intense rainfall hit northern parts of New Zealand, causing severe flooding. Albany in northern Auckland was hit by 109 mm of rain in 10 hours with the March average 85-90 mm. About 76.8 mm of this fell within just one hour, representing Auckland's wettest hour on record. The flooding was associated with potent thunderstorms crossing the Auckland region which produced 4,000 lightning flashes in an hour and at its peak, 700 in five minutes.
22nd: A large tornado touched down in New Orleans on Tuesday evening, causing damage and destruction to the city's Lower Ninth Ward, before traveling east into the neighbouring parish of St Bernard, where officials reported at least one dead and multiple injuries. The tornado occurred as a major storm system continued to tear through parts of the US south, killing another person in Texas and injuring more than two dozen.
22nd: California has seen drought recently and some notable early heat with temperatures in Santa Rosa, north of San Francisco, reaching 32C today, beating the previous daily record set in 1926. This warmth came after a long period of dry weather. Nearby Sacramento recently suffered a record 66 consecutive days without measurable rainfall up to 15 March, while there was only 17 mm in San Francisco during the whole of January and February.
27th-28th: Heavy rainfall affecting southern Ecuador, particularly the province of Azuay, over these two days caused numerous landslides resulting in casualties and damage. The Servicio Nacional de Gestion de Riesgos reported 4 fatalities, 4 injured people, around 15 damaged houses and damaged roads due to a landslide in Cuenca City during the afternoon of the 27th.

World weather news, February 2022

1st-4th: North-east (USA) residents were urged to stay off the roads with temperatures beginning to drop on the evening of the 4th as a major winter storm turned already slippery roads and sidewalks into ice-covered hazards. The storm spread misery from the deep south, where tree limbs snapped and a tornado claimed a life, to the nation's north-eastern tip. Massachusetts state police responded to more than 200 crashes with property damage or injuries, including one fatal crash, on the 3rd-4th. The New York governor, Kathy Hochul, warned residents to stay home if possible to avoid ice-coated roadways and the threat of falling tree limbs in the Hudson Valley and Capital regions. More than a foot of snow fell in parts of Pennsylvania, New York and New England. Utility crews were making progress in an area stretching from Texas to Ohio after about 350,000 homes and businesses were in the dark at one point. One of the hardest-hit places was Memphis, where more than 100,000 customers remained without power late on the 4th in Shelby County alone. The outages came as freezing rain and snow weighed down tree limbs and encrusted power lines, part of a storm that caused a deadly tornado in Alabama, dumped more than a foot of snow in parts of the midwest and brought rare measurable snowfall. Along the warmer side of the storm, in western Alabama, a tornado that hit a rural area on the 3rd killed one person and critically injured three others. More than 20 inches of snow was reported in the southern Rockies, while more than a foot of snow fell in areas of Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Airlines scrubbed about 3,400 flights by midday on Friday, with the highest numbers of cancellations at Dallas-Fort Worth and airports in the New York City area and Boston. In Texas, the return of sub-freezing weather brought heightened anxiety nearly a year after February 2021's catastrophic freeze that buckled the state's power grid for days, leading to hundreds of deaths in one of the worst blackouts in US history. The storm began on the 1st and moved across the central US on Groundhog Day (the 2nd), the same day the famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter.
5th: At least 10 people have been killed and nearly 50000 displaced after Cyclone Batsirai brought strong winds and rain to Madagascar in the evening. Batsirai - the second major storm in two weeks - made landfall on the east coast, with gusts of 235 km/h and high waves hitting coastal areas. Whole villages are reported to be almost completely destroyed. Cyclone Batsirai made landfall near the south-eastern city of Mananjary, 530 km from the capital Antananarivo, at around 1700 GMT. Electricity was cut off in places and the water supply was disrupted, according to local media. One resident told Reuters that even schools and churches due to be used as evacuation centres had had their roofs torn off. In other places, the destruction was nearly total.
5th-6th: Heavy snow fell over Japan over the weekend, with some areas receiving record-breaking amounts. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said the snow was brought by a wintry pressure pattern combined with cold air mass. All-time 24-hour snowfall records were broken in Maibara City, Chiga Prefecture where 62 cm were recorded, and Sapporo City, Hokkaido with 60 cm. Both figures are the highest since comparable data became available in 2001 for Maibara and in 1999 for Sapporo. Total snow depth in Sapporo reached 133 cm on the 6th. The city's all-time record is 169 cm on 13 February 1939. Sekigahara recorded 98 cm in 48 hours, also a record-breaking amount.
5th-7th: At least 9 people have died in Austria after more than 100 avalanches struck the country in just three days. Authorities described the situation as unprecedented and warned more avalanches can be expected in the days ahead. Most of the avalanches hit the country's western region of Tyrol where 5 people died on the 5th.
7th-8th: A violent bomb cyclone affected Iceland, producing hurricane-force winds and record-breaking waves at the southern coast of the country. One of the waves reached 40 m and blew off the scale, making it by far the highest measured wave off the coast of Iceland and among the highest ever measured in the world. Garoskagi wave measuring buoys repeatedly reported 30 m waves during the storm, breaking the previous record wave height in Iceland set on 9 January 1990, at 25 m. However, one of the waves was so powerful that the meter struck out at 40 m and therefore it's currently uncertain how high the wave actually was.
9th-13th: Remnants of Tropical Cyclone Dovi hit New Zealand's North Island on the 13th, bringing destructive winds, heavy rains, and large waves. Authorities issued severe weather warnings from Northland to Christchurch ahead of the storm, urging people not to travel unless absolutely necessary. Dovi formed on February 9 as the seventh named storm of the 2021/22 Australian region cyclone season. It passed over New Caledonia and Vanuatu on 9-10 February, bringing heavy rains and winds up to 80 km/h, with gusts to 154 km/h. In Vanuatu, Dovi turned roads into violent rivers in low lying areas including one major road leading out of Port Vila.
13th: A damaging tornado hit the city of Morales, Guatemala. According to the Guatemalan National Institute for Seismology, Vulcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology, the tornado touched ground at around 1420 LT, causing damage to trees, homes, and businesses.
13th: Heavy snow has caused major disruption to the Winter Olympics schedule with temperatures set to plummet below -22C at the Beijing Games. Several ski slopestyle events had to be pushed back a day because of the conditions at the Genting Snow Park. The women's freeski qualifications were postponed on Sunday because of heavy snow and poor visibility. Difficult conditions at the alpine skiing meant 33 of the 87 men's giant slalom starters were unable to finish. More snow is forecast on Monday, with temperatures in the mountains set to drop further and reach -35C with windchill. Ironically, the difficulty caused by the fresh snow came after the Games had been criticised for being the first Winter Olympics to rely almost 100% on artificial snow. Artificial snow used at Beijing 2022 'poses tough environmental questions' with more than 222 million litres of water needed to create snow conditions, ecological experts said last month.
15th: Extremely heavy rain hit the city of Petropolis, Brazil, causing severe floods and landslides in which at least 100 people lost their lives. Search and rescue operations are still in progress and the number of fatalities is still expected to rise. Petropolis is located in a mountainous region just north of the capital Rio de Janeiro. Hourly rainfall rates went up to an extraordinary 125.8 mm/h at 1715 LT in the Alto da Serra rain gauge. In Sao Sebastiao, as much as 259.8 mm of rain fell in 6 hours to 2110 LT - close to the amount that fell during the previous 30 days.
16th: The American West is experiencing its worst drought since 800AD - around the time Charlemagne ruled - according to a newly released study. The ongoing drought has seen lakes, reservoirs and rivers in California fall to record lows, exacerbating wildfires, according to scientists. The current drought is the worst 22-year dry period in the last 1,200 years - dating back to Vikings and Mayans. The last multi-decade drought occurred in the 1500s, but was not so severe. The new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change relied on data from the rings in trees and wood beams preserved at Native American archaeological sites.
18th-19th: At least 16 people have been killed as Storm Eunice carved a deadly trail across Europe. Deaths were reported in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, the Irish Republic and the UK, as fierce winds felled trees and sent debris flying. Millions of homes and businesses lost power across Europe and transport networks were left in disarray. The Dutch coastguard said it was trying to locate 26 empty shipping containers lost in the North Sea. Gusts of up to 122 mph were recorded on Friday. Several of those who died were hit by falling trees: four in the Netherlands, two in Poland after trees fell on to their cars, and a man in his 60s in County Wexford, the Republic of Ireland. Two more died in Germany and three people were killed on roads in England. Two people have died in Belgium, including a man hit on the head by a solar panel blown off a building in Ghent. Elsewhere in the Netherlands parts of the roof of the stadium of football team ADO Den Haag was ripped off in the Hague and high speed trains to Belgium, France and the UK were cancelled. In Germany rail operator Deutsche Bahn said 'more than 1,000 km' of track had suffered damage. Poland still had one million customers with electricity cut off on Saturday afternoon, after the country's north-west took a battering. Ferries across the Channel, the world's busiest shipping lane, were suspended, before the English port of Dover reopened on Friday afternoon. Hundreds of flights were cancelled at airports including Heathrow and Schiphol.
22nd-23rd: Cyclone Emnati made landfall on Madagascar around 2300 GMT just north of the southeastern district of Manakara. It is the fourth major cyclone to hit the island in a month, The storm, which passed just north of Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and Reunion, had weakened slightly by the time it reached the eastern coast of Madagascar, but was still packing winds of around 100 km/h, according to Meteo-France. The cyclone is forecast to exit Madagascar Wednesday night, but authorities are warning of torrential rains. National Weather forecaster, Meteo-Madagascar warned of strong gusts, heavy rain and widespread flooding around the southern and southeastern districts.
23rd: A 60-year-old woman was found dead in a submerged car and 10 others are feared missing after heavy rains and flash floods caused havoc across Australia's eastern coast. Some areas in the country have received up to 400 mm of rainfall within 24 hours, local reports said. Several emergency warnings were issued in multiple states along the Pacific coast. The Bureau of Meteorology in Queensland said that over 300 mm of rain fell within six hours near Gympie. Flood warnings have been issued on the Mary River, according to reports. Over a 24 hour period, 424 mm of rain fell in Mount Wolvi, 356 mm in Pomona and 354 mm in Cedar Pocket Dam.
25th: A slow-moving pressure system is producing very heavy rains in parts of Queensland, Australia, with some areas receiving more than 700 mm over the past 3 of days. Widespread floods have reached major levels in parts of the state and have so far claimed at least 3 lives. This weather event is one of the most severe systems to impact Queensland in recent years and the rain will continue falling through the day and into the weekend, producing more life-threatening flash flooding.
28th: The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued numerous major flood warnings across southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales (NSW) with a severe weather warning remaining current for several parts of the region. Multiple major flood warnings remain current for north-eastern NSW including the Tweed, Richmond, Wilsons, Clarence, Brunswick rivers and Marshall Creek. Authorities are describing the situation as unprecedented and warning the worst is yet to come! At least 8 people have been killed and three remain missing in Queensland after a year's worth of rain fell on parts of the southeast. Record river flooding has been reported, in parts of the region 2 m above existing record levels. 58,000 homes have been flooded in Brisbane alone and tens of thousands of customers are without power.

World weather news, January 2022

7th-8th: At least 21 people have died after heavy snow trapped them in their vehicles in northern Pakistan. As many as 1000 vehicles became stranded as would-be tourists reportedly rushed to view the winter snowfall in the hilltop town of Murree. The military is attempting to clear roads and rescue those still trapped. Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said the crisis had been caused by the number of people travelling to the area, north of the capital Islamabad. More than 100000 cars had arrived in the colonial-era town in recent days, with social media in Pakistan flooded with pictures of people enjoying the snow. But by Friday, local media reported that tourists were getting stranded. On Saturday, the heavy snow and increase in vehicles prompted authorities to declare the region a disaster zone. Pictures and video on social media show cars trapped bumper to bumper, snow piled onto their roofs.
7th: Washington State Governor declared a State of Emergency, after a series of severe winter storms struck Washington State (USA) beginning on 17 December 2021, producing extensive rain and snow and causing hazardous driving conditions, flooding, and extended road closures on mountain passes and other roadways throughout the lowlands and high elevations statewide. Rain and snow hit the state in historic proportions again this week, setting the stage for swollen rivers and avalanche concerns Friday, the Seattle Times reports. As a result, nearly all of the major road and train routes connecting Seattle the rest of the state and country were shut down, cutting off the city from Portland and Western Washington from Eastern Washington. The last time the region was cut off so much was in 1996 after an atmospheric river closed mountain passes and Interstate 5, NWS meteorologist Ted Buehner said. This time, the culprit was a warm front that stalled over Western Washington from the 5th to 7th January, rather than moving past quickly, like usual, said NWS meteorologist Samantha Borth.
10th: The last seven years were the world's hottest on record, with the first analysis of global temperature in 2021 showing it was 1.2 degC above pre-industrial levels. The assessment of the year, by the European climate agency Copernicus, also found carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached record levels and that the potent greenhouse gas methane surged 'very substantially', also to a new record. The rise in greenhouse gas concentration means more heat is being trapped than ever before but 2021 ranked as the fifth hottest year on record. This is because La Nina exerted a cooling influence by bringing cold Pacific waters to the surface.
10th: Tropical Cyclone Cody formed today near Fiji as the second named storm of the 2021/22 South Pacific Ocean cyclone season. Cody's center passed south of the island without making landfall, but strong winds and prolonged heavy rains caused widespread floods and infrastructure damage, especially on the western side of Viti Levu. At 0000 UTC on 10 January, Cody's center was located about 255 km SW of Viti Levu, with maximum sustained winds of 74 km/h. At least one person was killed in Tavua Town, northern Viti Levu, and a number of people were forced to evacuate in northern and western Viti Levu due to floods.
13th: Australia has equalled its hottest day on record after a remote coastal town reported temperatures of 50.7C. The temperature in Onslow, Western Australia, on Thursday matched a record set in 1962 in South Australia. Onslow and the surrounding areas could see records broken again with temperatures set to rise slightly on Friday. It comes after Western Australia reported large bushfires last month. One fire near Margaret River scorched through more than 6000 hectares of land, forcing evacuations. The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed on Thursday that Onslow equalled the record at 1426 local time (2226 GMT). According to local media, the average temperature in Onslow at this time of year is 36.5C. Two other towns, Mardie and Roebourne, reported temperatures of more than 50C on Thursday.
14th: More than 549 cities in Brazil are now under a state of emergency due to severe floods affecting the country over the past couple of weeks. Dozens of people have been killed and more than 133000 forced to evacuate their homes. In addition, 200 cities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul are in a state of emergency due to droughts. The worst affected by floods are Minas Gerais and Bahia with 341 cities and 175 municipalities under a state of emergency. Minas Gerais is home to the country's 3 most at-risk tailings dams, renewing traumas in a region that has experienced two catastrophic dam collapses since 2015.
16th: A major winter storm affecting the eastern United States spawned multiple tornadoes in southwestern Florida today, destroying at least 28 homes and damaging others. In addition, at least 7000 homes were left without power in Lee and Collier counties. Lee County officials said at least 62 homes are currently unlivable after the county was hit by an EF-2 tornado at 0735 LT on Sunday morning. The tornado may have completely destroyed 30 of 108 mobile homes near Fort Myers, according to a preliminary damage survey by the National Weather Service (NWS).
17th: A low-pressure system tracking south of the Great Lakes brought significant snowfall and blizzard conditions to parts of Ontario and Quebeck, Canada today, forcing authorities to issue the first blizzard warning for the City of Toronto since 1978. This system is a part of a large storm affecting the U.S. East Coast and central and eastern Canada. Environment Canada issued the blizzard warning forecasting up to 60 cm of fresh snow in some parts of the region and snowfall rates of 6 to 10 cm per hour. Toronto saw 37 cm by 0900 LT today and strong northwesterly winds gusting up to 50 km/h, resulting in areas of poor visibility.
18th-19th: Some 2800 people were stranded on a major highway connecting Turkey's southern provinces after rare heavy snowfall and blizzard conditions hit the province of Gaziantep late Tuesday and Wednesday, January 19, 2022. Heavy snow and blizzard conditions also affected other parts of the country, closing schools in 52 of Turkey's 82 provinces and isolating remote towns and villages. Some remote areas in the northeast are reporting up to 2 m (6.5 feet) of snow.
21st-23rd: Widespread flooding affected South Australia after parts of the state received more than a year's worth of rain in just three days. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) senior meteorologist Kylie Evans said there were a number of daily rainfall records set, including 181 mm at Winter Springs near Cowell, and 160 mm in Kimba, both on the 21st, and 86 mm in Kadina on the 23rd. There were also new January daily rainfall records set across a number of locations, including Wharminda with 71 mm, Yardea 70.4 mm, and Leigh Creek 93 mm. This rare rainfall event has been attributed to a slow-moving upper low pressure front across the Great Australian Bite, with a deep tropical moisture and a surface trough.
23rd-24th: Heavy snow and below-freezing temperatures affected Greece, including Athens and many Aegean islands, on the 24th, forcing authorities to close schools and warn the public to limit their movements. The temperatures across the country started falling on Saturday, followed by heavy snow and frost. While snow is common in the Greek mountains and in the northern part of the country, it's not usual in central Athens and on the Aegean islands. Rare snow was also reported on the island of Mykonos the 23rd.
24th: At least 34 people have died and dozens are missing after strong winds and heavy downpours wreaked havoc in Malawi and Mozambique as Tropical Storm Ana made landfall. Almost 16000 people in the south of Malawi were affected, according to the Red Cross, as search and rescue operations continue after the first cyclone of the region's season. Heavy flooding has forced the main hydropower supplier in Malawi to shut down, meaning much of the country was without electricity.
26th: Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, the three major agricultural producers in South America, are currently experiencing a prolonged period of drought and low water levels in their main rivers. This is severely impacting harvests, as well as river transport of important summer crops, with maize and soybeans the main casualties. Many towns have posted their highest temperatures since records began, with some zones heating up to 45C.
28th-30th: Floods and landslides caused by heavy rains affecting the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, claimed the lives of at least 21 people and left more than 600 families without homes. At least 9 have been injured and many more remain missing.
29th-30th: At least 6 people have been killed after a powerful winter storm brought hurricane-force winds to northern Europe, causing coastal surges and leaving hundreds of thousands without power. This storm is known as Nadia in Germany and Malik elsewhere. The worst affected were the United Kingdom, Denmark, Poland, and Germany where homes and cars were destroyed, bridges shut, trains canceled and ferries docked as coastal surges led to flooding. Malik reached the Nordic region and northern Germany late on the 29th after moving in from Britain where it caused havoc with material damage and transport chaos, hitting Scotland particularly badly.
29th-30th: At least 4 people died and more than 120000 customers were left without power after a powerful Nor'easter hit the U.S. East Coast. More than 16 million people were placed under winter weather alerts. The storm rapidly intensified into a bomb cyclone on January 29 dropping heavy snow and producing hurricane-force winds. The heaviest snow was recorded in eastern Massachusetts where 30.9 inches was registered in Stoughton, about 32 km SW of Boston. Snowfall rates in Boston reached 2-4 inches per hour, but even higher rates were registered in Norfolk County. Numerous locations broke daily snowfall records on January 29, including Boston which tied the record for biggest 1-day snowfall with 23.6 inches. The storm total is 23.8 inches but 0.2 inches fell on the 28th.
31st: A huge landslide triggered by the heaviest rainfall in Ecuador for almost 20 years has killed at least 11 people in the capital, Quito, officials say. Mud and rocks were carried down the slopes of the Pichincha volcano, which overlooks the city, engulfing a recreation ground and eight houses, and sweeping away cars. At least 32 people were injured. Weather experts said the amount of rain that hit the mountain was almost 40 times as much as forecast. 75 mm of rain fell in the La Gasca sector, the heaviest fall since 2003.

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Last updated 12 March 2024.