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The Iberian nations are again dealing with the consequences of significant inundation following Storm Claudia unleashed torrential downpours and strong winds the previous week.

The Storm's Formation and Trajectory

This meteorological event originated from a region of depressed atmospheric pressure that had previously ushered in early season freezing temperatures and snowfall through the eastern regions of the Canadian territory and the north-eastern US in early November.

Claudia tracked eastwards across the Atlantic over the second weekend of November before slowing and stalling to the northwestern area of the Iberian peninsula, trapped within a trough of an progressively more wavy air current.

Impact on Iberia

Spain's Galicia area in the northwest was initially impacted, with a substantial 80 to 150 millimetres of rain pouring down along its Atlantic coast in just 24 hours up to Wednesday night as a slow-moving band of rain crawled across western parts of the region.

Further showers and thunderstorms on the following Thursday caused inundations to Portuguese localities where a senior pair died in the city of Lisbon after rising waters from the bursting Tagus River flooded their dwelling as they rested.

Stormy conditions continued into the weekend, with a twister tearing through a camping ground and a nearby hotel in the town of Albufeira in southern Portugal on Saturday last week, claiming the life of an elderly British lady and wounding 28 people.

Broader Impacts across Europe

This system triggered more extensive impacts across the western European nations. By pulling tropical air from the subtropics, the system helped temperatures in southwestern France to nearly 30 degrees Celsius, the state's maximum ever late autumn reading.

By last Friday, this warm and humid air mass clashed with a frigid air system across the northern areas of the continent, generating a precipitation zone running from western Ireland to the Russian Federation.

In the UK, this halting system of rain delivered very high rainfall totals, leading to severe flooding in the Welsh region.

As the storm continues to weaken at the start of the week, the frigid air will advance southward, giving Europe its premier experience of the winter season.

Simultaneous Occurrences in the state of California

California underwent an "atmospheric river" last week, causing torrential rain and powerful winds that resulted in sudden inundations and debris flows in zones affected by forest fires earlier this year.

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

In excess of 100 millimetres of rain accumulated over shoreline regions of the state's south in all, hitting 200mm overall in areas of elevated terrain.

An atmospheric river is a plume of hot, humid air stemming from the tropics or subtropics.

Regions previously burned including Palisades and Altadena region endured the most severe the rapid inundations and landslides, forcing residents to flee.

Across California, a man in his seventies lost his life after his automobile was swept off a submerged bridge, and a young girl aged seven and her father were pulled into the ocean by big swells on the California's Central Coast.