Weather tracker: Thunderstorms and heavy rain hit Iberian peninsula | Spain
Severe storms developed in the Iberian peninsula on Wednesday, and Spanish weather service Aemet issued an orange weather warning for much of the country.
These storms were triggered by a cold front passing eastward over Iberia due to a deep low pressure area in the Atlantic Ocean located just northwest of Spain, with a central pressure of 989 hPa at its lowest point.
Heavy rain was seen in Iberia; More than 30 mm of rain fell in Galicia in just 24 hours; here further local totals reached 60 mm, leading to some surface flooding. High totals were also seen in parts of Castilla y León; The town of Cáceres saw 50 mm in 24 hours and flooding made roads impassable. Additionally, there were reports of large hail, particularly in southern Spain, where a 6 cm hailstone was detected in Cádiz, Andalusia.
Strong winds also hit Iberia, especially along Spain’s northern coast, where gusts of up to 55 mph were widely reported. More locally, winds reached 65 mph, and a 99 mph gust was reported in Ouria, Asturias, in northwestern Spain.
Other parts of Europe also experienced severe flooding earlier this week; More than 60 mm of rain fell in Skiathos, Greece, on Wednesday, causing severe flooding on the island again. This rain developed thanks to the upper air shear low, a weather pattern that allows for heavy rain.
Meanwhile, Typhoon Kalmaegi, also known as Tino, brought strong winds and torrential rain to Southeast Asia this week. The hurricane formed in the western Pacific Ocean on October 31, then moved westward towards the Philippines, where it made landfall on Tuesday with strength equivalent to a category 2 hurricane. Winds reached around 80 mph and flash flooding caused by heavy rains swept away cars and riverside homes in strong currents. 188 people have been confirmed, 135 remain missing and nearly 500,000 people have been displaced.
Kalmaegi then continued westward across the South China Sea towards Vietnam. Although it weakened slightly as it passed over the Philippines, it strengthened again as it moved toward Vietnam and eventually made landfall on Thursday with the intensity of a Category 3 hurricane, with winds of up to 93 mph and waves as high as 10 meters off the coast of Vietnam. Flooding, power outages, downed trees, torn roofs, and additional damage occurred; One death was reported due to a house collapse. Approximately 260,000 people were evacuated.
