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The Iberian nations are again recovering from significant flooding after Storm Claudia unleashed heavy rain and strong winds last week.

Claudia's Genesis and Journey

This meteorological event formed from a region of depressed atmospheric pressure that had beforehand ushered in early season cold and snowy conditions through eastern parts of Canada and the American north-east during the beginning of the eleventh month.

The system tracked eastwards across the Atlantic during the second weekend of November before slowing and stalling to the northwestern area of the Iberian peninsula, caught in the trough of an progressively more wavy jet stream.

Consequences for Iberia

Galicia in north-west Spain was the first affected, with 80-150mm of rain pouring down along its western coastline in just one full day up to Wednesday night as a slow-moving band of rain pushed across western parts of the Iberian peninsula.

Further showers and thunderstorms on Thursday led to floods to Portuguese localities where an older couple lost their lives in Lisbon after floodwaters from the swollen Tagus invaded their residence as they were asleep.

Unsettled atmospheric states continued into the weekend, with a violent whirlwind tearing through a campsite and a close-by inn in Albufeira in the south in southern Portugal on Saturday, killing an 85-year-old British woman and harming 28 people.

Extended Consequences across the European continent

Claudia had more extensive impacts across Europe's western part. By drawing warm air from the subtropical zones, the system helped temperatures in south-west France to nearly 30 degrees Celsius, the nation's all-time high November temperature.

By the following Friday, this tropical air mass clashed with a frigid air system across the northern areas of the continent, forming a rainfall belt running from the west of Ireland to Russia.

In the Britain, this halting system of rain brought very high rainfall totals, causing significant waterlogging in Wales.

As Claudia progressively weakens in the coming days, the frigid air will push south, giving Europe its premier experience of colder weather.

Parallel Events in California

California encountered an "atmospheric river" last week, bringing intense precipitation and high-velocity gusts that resulted in sudden inundations and mudslides in regions affected by wildfires earlier this year.

More than 50mm of rain poured down in southern California on last Friday, with a further 50mm widely across the state on Saturday last.

In excess of 100 millimetres of rain was deposited on shoreline regions of the state's south in total, attaining 200mm overall in locations at higher elevations.

This meteorological feature is a narrow band of hot, humid air stemming from the tropical or subtropical regions.

Regions previously burned including Palisades and the town of Altadena suffered the most intense the flash flooding and mudslides, leading to evacuations.

Across California, a 71-year-old man lost his life after his vehicle was washed off a inundated overpass, and a child of seven years and her dad were pulled into the Pacific by big swells on the California's Central Coast.