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The Iberian nations are again dealing with the consequences of significant flooding in the wake of Storm Claudia unleashed heavy rain and strong winds last week.

The Storm's Origin and Path

The storm system formed from a low-pressure zone that had previously caused unseasonably early freezing temperatures and snowfall through eastern parts of Canada and the American north-east during the beginning of the eleventh month.

Claudia moved eastward across the Atlantic Ocean during the second weekend of November before losing momentum and stopping to the northwestern area of the Spanish and Portuguese landmass, snared in a dip of an increasingly amplified air current.

Consequences for Iberia

Galicia in north-west Spain was hit first, with three to six inches of rain falling along its west coast in just a single day up to the evening of Wednesday as a slow-moving band of rain crawled across western parts of the Iberian peninsula.

More downpours and stormy weather on Thursday caused inundations to areas in Portugal where a senior pair lost their lives in the city of Lisbon after floodwaters from the swollen Tagus flooded their dwelling as they were asleep.

Tempestuous weather continued into the weekend, with a twister tearing through a campsite and a close-by inn in Albufeira in the south in southern Portugal on the weekend's Saturday, fatally injuring an elderly British lady and harming 28 individuals.

Broader Impacts across Europe

Claudia had wider effects across Europe's western part. By drawing warm air from the subtropical zones, the system helped temperatures in France's south-west to 85.6 degrees Fahrenheit, the country's highest recorded autumn temperature.

By Friday, this hot and moist atmospheric body collided with a cold air mass across the northern regions of Europe, forming a precipitation zone extending from Ireland's west to the Russian Federation.

In the Britain, this stationary front of rain brought very high rainfall totals, causing severe flooding in the principality of Wales.

As Claudia loses strength early this week, the chilly atmospheric system will push south, delivering to Europe its initial glimpse of the winter season.

Simultaneous Occurrences in California, USA

California encountered a so-called atmospheric river the previous week, bringing torrential rain and strong winds that led to sudden inundations and debris flows in zones scarred by forest fires previously in the year.

Over two inches of rain poured down in California's southern part on last Friday, with a additional two inches widely across the state on Saturday last.

More than 100mm of rain accumulated over shoreline regions of southern California in all, reaching a full 200 millimetres in locations at higher elevations.

Such a weather system is a plume of hot, humid air coming from the tropical or subtropical regions.

Regions previously burned including the Pacific Palisades area and Altadena endured the worst of the sudden floods and mudslides, forcing residents to flee.

In other parts of the state, a man in his seventies lost his life after his vehicle was swept off a inundated overpass, and a child of seven years and her dad were dragged into the Pacific by large waves on the Central Coast.