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Once again, Portugal and Spain find themselves dealing with the consequences of extensive inundation following Storm Claudia unleashed heavy rain and strong winds over the past seven days.

Claudia's Genesis and Journey

This weather system originated from an area of low pressure that had beforehand ushered in early season cold and snowy conditions through eastern parts of the Canadian territory and the north-eastern United States in early November.

Claudia moved eastward across the Atlantic Ocean in the middle of the second week of November before slowing and stalling to the northwestern area of the Spanish and Portuguese landmass, snared in a dip of an ever more meandering air current.

Consequences for Iberia

The northwestern Spanish region of Galicia was initially impacted, with 80-150mm of rain coming down along its Atlantic coast in just one full day up to Wednesday evening as a slow-moving band of rain drifted across western parts of the Iberian peninsula.

Additional rainfall and electrical storms on Thursday brought flooding to areas in Portugal where an elderly couple perished in the capital Lisbon after rising waters from the bursting Tagus River entered their home as they slept.

Tempestuous weather continued into the weekend, with a violent whirlwind ripping through a outdoor lodging area and a nearby hotel in Albufeira in the south in southern Portugal on the weekend's Saturday, claiming the life of an elderly British lady and injuring 28 individuals.

Extended Consequences across Europe

The storm produced wider effects across Europe's western part. By pulling tropical air from the warmer regions, the system assisted in raising temperatures in southwestern France to 29.8C (85.6F), the country's highest recorded autumn temperature.

By Friday, this hot and moist atmospheric body clashed with a frigid air system across the northern areas of the continent, forming a band of rain stretching from Ireland's west to the Russian Federation.

In the UK, this halting system of rain delivered record-breaking rain accumulations, leading to severe flooding in Wales.

As the storm progressively weakens at the start of the week, the cold air mass will advance southward, delivering to Europe its first taste of winter.

Simultaneous Occurrences in California

The US state of California experienced an "atmospheric river" last week, delivering heavy rain and strong winds that resulted in rapid flooding and debris flows in regions affected by wildfires previously in the year.

Over two inches of rain poured down in the southern region of the state on the week's end, with a another 50 millimetres broadly over the state on Saturday.

More than 100mm of rain fell over coastal areas of Southern CA in all, reaching 200mm overall in locations at higher elevations.

This meteorological feature is a concentrated stream of hot, humid air coming from the equatorial or near-equatorial zones.

Locations with fire damage including Pacific Palisades and Altadena region suffered the most severe the rapid inundations and landslides, prompting evacuations.

Across California, a man in his seventies passed away after his vehicle was carried away from a submerged bridge, and a seven-year-old girl and her parent were swept into the sea by powerful waves on the the state's central shoreline.