Ana became the first storm of the Atlantic hurricane season at the end of last week. It obtained tropical storm status with maximum sustained winds reaching 45mph.
This is the seventh year in succession where the first storm of the Atlantic hurricane season has formed before the official start of the season which is 1 June. The earlier formation of storms is largely down to sea surface temperatures reaching 27C – the level needed for tropical storms to form – earlier in the year due to climate change.
There was tragedy in Gansu province, China, where 21 people died during an ultramarathon event on Saturday. The previous day had been hot, but on the day of the race temperatures dropped significantly and there was heavy rain and hail. This caused a landslide on the mountainous route, which has a maximum altitude of more than 1,000 metres.
Parts of the Arctic Circle in north-west Russia at the end of last week had heatwave conditions, with temperatures more than 20C above average. The town of Nar’jan-Mar reached 31.7C on 20 May. High pressure in eastern Russia and low pressure across western Europe allowed a southerly airflow to develop across western parts of Russia, bringing in the unusually hot air from Asia.
