Storm Claudia Brings More Inundation to the Portuguese nation and Spain
Once again, Portugal and Spain find themselves battling the aftermath of widespread flooding in the wake of Tempest Claudia brought torrential downpours and strong winds over the past seven days.
The Storm's Formation and Trajectory
This meteorological event developed from a region of depressed atmospheric pressure that had previously caused unseasonably early chilly and snowy weather through the eastern sectors of Canada and the north-eastern United States in early November.
Claudia journeyed east across the Atlantic Ocean during the second weekend of November before slowing and stalling to the north-west of the Iberian peninsula, caught in the trough of an ever more meandering air current.
Impact on Iberia
The northwestern Spanish region of Galicia was the first affected, with a substantial 80 to 150 millimetres of rain falling along its western coastline in just 24 hours up to Wednesday night as a sluggish front of rain pushed across the western areas of the peninsula.
Additional rainfall and electrical storms on the following Thursday brought flooding to Portuguese localities where a senior pair died in Lisbon after floodwaters from the swollen Tagus entered their home as they slept.
Unsettled atmospheric states lasted through the weekend, with a twister devastating a campsite and a close-by inn in Albufeira in Portugal's south on the weekend's Saturday, fatally injuring an British woman aged 85 and injuring 28 people.
Wider Effects across Europe
This system triggered more extensive impacts across western Europe. By drawing warm air from the subtropical zones, the system assisted in raising temperatures in southwestern France to nearly 30 degrees Celsius, the state's maximum ever November temperature.
By Friday, this tropical air mass clashed with a frigid air system across the northern regions of the continent, creating a precipitation zone stretching from the west of Ireland to the Russian Federation.
In the Britain, this stationary front of rain delivered record-breaking rain accumulations, causing major inundations in the principality of Wales.
As this weather phenomenon progressively weakens in the coming days, the cold air mass will push south, giving Europe its initial glimpse of colder weather.
Parallel Events in California, USA
The Golden State experienced a so-called atmospheric river last week, delivering intense precipitation and strong winds that provoked rapid flooding and landslides in regions impacted by wildfires in the recent past.
In excess of 50 millimetres of rain was recorded in California's southern part on last Friday, with a additional two inches widely across the state on Saturday last.
In excess of 100 millimetres of rain accumulated over coastal areas of southern California in all, hitting a full 200 millimetres in locations at higher elevations.
An atmospheric river is a concentrated stream of hot, humid air coming from the tropical or subtropical regions.
Regions previously burned including the Pacific Palisades area and Altadena region suffered the worst of the sudden floods and mudslides, prompting evacuations.
In other parts of the state, a 71-year-old man lost his life after his car was carried away from a submerged bridge, and a seven-year-old girl and her parent were dragged into the Pacific by big swells on the California's Central Coast.
