An intense heatwave in southern California smashed records last Friday as temperatures topped 40C (104F). The mercury peaked at 42C at Camarillo airport, beating the previous all-time record of 39.5C set in September 1976.
Temperatures for October are usually around 25C for south California but were 10C to 20C higher than normal in many places, causing circuits to overheat and leaving about 9,000 people without power Friday and Saturday evening.
The heatwave was the result of an area of high pressure located over the south-west US, pulling in hot, dry, air from the desert interior.
By contrast, southern areas of Saskatchewan, Canada, were hit by extreme winds Sunday afternoon as a very active cold front swept through the region. The strongest winds gusted at over 75mph in the city of Swift Current. Trucks were blown over and some roofs lost, while toppling trees damaged power lines and led to numerous power cuts.
Meanwhile, an early blast of winter hit parts of Europe this week. Very cold air in western Russia pushed into central Europe on Monday and Tuesday, steered by a large area of high pressure across Scandinavia. Germany bore the brunt of the cold with snow reported even in low lying areas on Tuesday night.
Snow in October is common in the mountains but rare across low ground; snow below 200 metres was reported in places. Overnight frosts were widespread and daytime temperatures on Tuesday seldom reached 4C or 5C in many places. The unseasonable cold is expected to slowly release its grip in the next few days.
