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.