World weather news, March 2024

2nd

A massive blizzard is pounding parts of California and Nevada in the western United States. The snowstorm has closed major roads, shut down ski resorts and left tens of thousands of homes without power. The blizzard was especially severe in the mountainous Sierra Nevada region, where wind gusts reportedly reached 190 mph. People have been warned of a "high to extreme avalanche danger" there, including the greater Lake Tahoe area. Up to 10 feet of snow was expected at higher elevations, a US National Weather Service meteorologist said, which could create "life-threatening concern" for people living near Lake Tahoe. Several ski resorts around Lake Tahoe that closed on the 1st remained shut today.

8th

St. John's, the capital of Newfoundland, Canada, received 53 cm of snow today, breaking the previous daily March snowfall record of 50 cm from 4 March 2005. This marks the second storm to bury parts of the region in less than a month. Today now stands as the snowiest March day recorded for St. John's International Airport, with records going back to 1942.

10th-12th

Extremely heavy rains have struck Western Australia over the past couple of days, causing significant flooding that has severed the main route connecting Western Australia with the rest of the country. The flooding has also left seven people missing. A stationary trough situated over southern-eastern Western Australia combined with a moist air mass drawn southward from the tropics, dropping over 155 mm of rain over Rawlinna, situated 900 km east of Perth. This is more than half the yearly rainfall for the region within just 24 hours, leading to the closure of key transport routes such as the Trans-Australian Railway line and Eyre Highway, crucial for freight between Western Australia and South Australia.

11th

A wave of exceptionally hot weather has led to the shattering of thousands of temperature records across Africa. Nations from Cameroon to Mauritius have experienced unprecedented heat, marking historic highs for the month of March. In Cameroon, Garoua recorded 45.5C, setting a new national record for the hottest March day. Similarly, Ghana's Navrongo reached 43.8C, also marking a national record for March.

12th

Severe Tropical Storm 'Filipo' made landfall on the northeastern coast of Inhambane Province, Mozambique, close to Inhassoro City around 0300 GMT. The storm brought over 150 mm of rainfall in 12 to 18 hours, destroying homes, schools, and electrical infrastructure, and leaving many in urgent need of humanitarian aid.

15th

Severe weather has left a trail of destruction across parts of the US, with tornadoes and funnel clouds reported in several states. The storm system struck Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. At least three people died as a consequence of the extreme weather. Multiple homes were damaged, with residents also dealing with knocked down trees and power lines.

22nd

Heavy rains in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state resulted in at least 20 fatalities, with Petropolis being the hardest hit. 270 mm of rain (more than the monthly average) fell within 24 hours, significantly impacting the region and leading to numerous incidents, including landslides and house collapses. The storm then moved to the neighbouring state of Espírito Santo, dropping more than 200 mm of rainfall within 24 hours. The city of Petropolis, located approximately 69 km north of Rio, was the worst affected area.

22nd

Intense rainfall and hailstorms struck western, causing widespread damage, including downed trees, power outages, and flash floods. The National Electricity Union reported over 260,000 users without electricity in provinces such as Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, Mayabeque, Matanzas, and Havana. Places in Havana recorded more than 300 mm of rainfall in just 24 hours. Significant wind gusts between 65 and 75 km/h were recorded during the storm. In addition, unusual hailstorms left large amounts of ice across many areas.

22nd-23rd

Heavy rain, snow, and ice blanketed portions of the interior Northeast and New England (USA), causing widespread power outages, traffic chaos, and flight delays and cancellations. The storm left more than 300 000 customers in Maine, New York and Hampshire without power. New York City experienced its third wettest March day on record on the 23rd, receiving 93 mm of rain, with the majority falling within six hours. The record for the wettest March day in New York City's Central Park stands at 108 mm set on 25 March 1876.

27th

A cyclone that hit northern Madagascar left at least 11 people dead and forced 2,000 out of their homes. Local news reports say that 'flooding caused significant damage' with roads and bridges affected. "It's rare to have a cyclone like this. Its movement is nearly stationary," Gen Elack Andriakaja, the disaster management programme director-general, is quoted as saying. "When the system stops in one place, it devastates all the infrastructure. And that has serious consequences for the population. And significant flooding.'

World weather news, February 2024

1st

The Spanish region of Catalonia has declared a state of emergency as it faces its worst drought on record. From the 2nd residents will be banned from washing their cars and filling up empty swimming pools under a measure brought in to tackle the crisis. More than six million Catalans will be affected across 200 towns and cities, including the capital Barcelona. The restrictions were announced after reservoirs fell to close to 16% of their capacity. Spain is used to dry conditions and other areas of the country are also suffering droughts, including Andalusia in the south and the eastern region of Valencia. However, Catalonia, which borders southern France, is less used to such conditions, forcing officials to consider bringing in water by ship to Barcelona should it run dry. This measure was previously adopted in 2008.

6th

At least three people have been killed by falling trees as a powerful storm drenches California bringing flooding, mudslides and power outages. Fire officials have responded to over 130 flooding incidents and conducted several rescues since the deluge began. The storm is due to an "atmospheric river" effect, a phenomenon in which water evaporates into the air and is carried along by the wind, forming long currents that flow in the sky like rivers flow on land. This slow-moving storm is the second atmospheric river to hit California in two weeks. Mudslides and debris flows have been reported in the Los Angeles area. On the 5th, 16 residents were forced from their Hollywood Hills homes after mudslides flowed through houses, knocking buildings off their foundations and rupturing gas lines. Strong winds of up to 70 mph have also caused power cuts and downed trees. The National Weather Service (NWS) said that on the 4th 4.1 inches of rain fell in downtown Los Angeles, surpassing the previous record of 2.5 inches set in 1927. By Monday (5th) afternoon, parts of LA County had recorded over 11 inches of rain since the weekend - approaching the nearly 15 inches that the region normally experiences in an entire year. The storm and associated flooding has also forced schools to close from Malibu to Sonoma County, near San Francisco.

13th-14th

The north-eastern US coast has been hit by one of the worst snow storms in two years, blanketing cities with over a foot of snow and causing travel chaos. Around 1,200 US flights - mostly in New York and Boston - were cancelled, while another 2,700 were delayed. Snow began falling quickly in the early morning hours on Tuesday (13th) from eastern Pennsylvania to Massachusetts, leaving nearly 50 million people under winter weather alerts. Some areas saw the heaviest snowfall in years, including Farmington Connecticut, which recorded 39 cm of snowfall. The conditions made travel dangerous, leading to minor car accidents in both Boston and New York City. Some areas placed a ban on a commercial vehicles on the roads, while officials urged residents to avoid travel if possible. Tuesday's storm ended a 744-day relative snow drought for New York City, which hasn't seen more than 2.5 inches of snow in over two years. Some 3.2 inches of snow falling in Central Park, making it New York's snowiest day since January 2022.

14th

Nearly half a million homes were left without power in the Australian state of Victoria after a storm knocked out parts of the network. One dairy farmer was killed - authorities suspect he was struck by flying debris while on a tractor. The wild weather also hampered efforts to fight massive bushfires in the state's west. A catastrophic fire weather warning had been issued in one region - Australia's highest level of bushfire danger.

19th

Hundreds of towns and villages in Bolivia have been put under alert as torrential rains continue to wreak havoc. Officials say 33 people have died since November due to the rains, which have triggered landslides and caused rivers to burst their banks. Officials are carefully monitoring a number of dams which they fear could overflow. The heavy rains have hit Bolivia after a prolonged drought and one of the hottest winters the country has experienced. Back in October, hundreds of people had gathered at the Incachaca reservoir - which is now close to overflowing - to pray for rain.

19th

This winter, Mongolia has experienced its most severe snowfall since 1975, according to an announcement by the Mongolian government today. The extreme weather, characterized by severe colds and blizzards, has already resulted in one fatality and has taken a significant toll on livestock, with nearly 668000 animals perishing as of the 18th.

19th

On the 16th the Brazilian Navy identified a subtropical depression ESE of Rio de Janeiro, which intensified into Tropical Storm Akara by today. Akara is the first named tropical storm to develop in the South Atlantic Ocean since Iba in 2019 and the basin's first named storm in February since Bapo in 2015.

21st

A large and destructive tornado swept through four districts in Sumedang and Bandung Regencies of West Java, Indonesia today, affecting more than 60 homes and injuring at least 22 people. According to local media reports, the tornado hit at around 1600 LT, affecting sub-districts of Cicalengka and Rancaekek in Bandung Regency where 20 people were injured, and Jatinangor and Cimanggung in Sumedang Regency where 2 people were injured. Most of the injuries were caused by falling house materials and trees.

Summary

Last month was the world's warmest February in modern times, the EU's climate service says, extending the run of monthly records to nine in a row. Each month since June 2023 has seen new temperature highs for the time of year. The world's sea surface is at its hottest on record, while Antarctic sea-ice has again reached extreme lows. Temperatures are still being boosted by the Pacific's El Nino weather event, but human-caused climate change is by far the main driver of the warmth. February 2024 was about 1.77 degC warmer than "pre-industrial" times - before humans started burning large amounts of fossil fuels - according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service. This breaks the previous record, from 2016, by around 0.12 degC. The 12-month average now sits at 1.56C above pre-industrial levels.

World weather news, January 2024

4th

People who got trapped in 1,000 vehicles in heavy snow for more than 24 hours have been evacuated, Swedish authorities say. Rescuers worked through the night to free people stuck on the main E22 road in the Skane area of southern Sweden. Many of those trapped were evacuated by rescue teams and told to return to their cars later. The travel chaos occurred amid plummeting winter temperatures across the Nordic countries. Extreme cold weather has hit parts of Sweden, Finland and Norway, and snow storms in Denmark have left drivers trapped on a motorway near Aarhus since Wednesday. The Kvikkjokk-Arrenjarka weather station in northern Sweden recorded its coldest night for 25 years on Tuesday (2nd-3rd) night, with temperatures dropping to -43.6C.

9th

At least three people have died and over half a million homes are without power after a series of powerful winter storms swept through parts of the eastern US and Canada. Strong winds flipped cars and knocked over homes in Florida, where several tornadoes were reported. More than 1,300 flights in or out of the US were cancelled today, according to data from FlightAware. Dozens of counties in Florida have declared a state of emergency, where storms have blown roofs off homes and knocked down power lines. Twelve tornadoes were reported across Florida, Alabama and Georgia by midday, causing significant damage and, in some areas, prompting search and rescue operations. The storms also left roadways impassable in Panama City, ripped roofs off of buildings and brought hail the size of baseballs. More than 30 cm of snow fell in the US interior, stranding motorists and interrupting presidential campaigning in Iowa.

12th

Floods have wreaked chaos in Kinshasa - the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo - with water pouring into homes and residents navigating submerged roads via canoe. The overflowing River Congo, passing through much of the country, has also swamped places outside the capital. The vast, vital waterway has reached its highest level in six decades. More than 300 people have died in floods over the past months, officials say.

15th

Torrential rain and flooding have hit Mauritius and the French territory of Reunion, in the Indian Ocean, as Cyclone Belal crosses the islands. One person was killed in Reunion, where the population of about 860,000 was ordered to shelter at home, but the eye of the storm has avoided the island. Around a quarter of households on the island had no electricity and thousands were without running water.

19th

More than 70 million people across the US were put under winter weather alerts this past week, from Oregon to Maine. Temperatures fell to -45C in some areas, and the National Weather Service issued a wind chill warning across parts of Texas through last weekend, with warnings of hypothermia and frostbite from wind chills of -32C. Additionally, nearly 25 cm of snow fell across parts of Iowa, and other states across the Mid-west received 15-25 cm of snow last weekend. A further winter storm across the Pacific north-west is also thought to have played a part in the deaths of at least 27 people this week owing to hypothermia and car crashes on frozen roads.

22nd

More than 90 weather-related deaths have been recorded across the US after the country was pummelled by ferocious winter storms for the past week. The deaths include at least 25 in Tennessee and 16 in Oregon, which remains under a state of emergency following severe ice storms. Tens of thousands of people also remain without power across wide swathes of the country.

25th

Temperatures in southern Spain today reached just over 28C - the second-highest value recorded in January since 1985. AEMET, Spain's state meteorological agency, reported that maximum temperatures recorded at one observatory in the Mediterranean region of Murcia hit 28.2C. At another, provisional data showed the temperature peaked at 28.5C. The unusually warm weather came close to breaking records, becoming the second-highest value recorded at one observatory for January in 38 years. Many other parts of Spain also enjoyed temperatures in the 20s, including Alicante which had a maximum temperature of 25C and Granada with 26C.