Severe weather affected many parts of Greece on Thursday and Friday, with frequent lightning strikes and heavy rain reported widely across the country. An active weather front brought torrential rain, leading to disruption to transport and communications, while some schools in the Ionian Islands were shut due to fear of flooding.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, many places in central and south-eastern US recorded their highest October temperatures. Tuscaloosa, Alabama, recorded 38C (100F) in October for the first time in records dating back to 1900. Nashville, Tennessee, recorded 36C, beating its previous October high by more than 2C. The heatwave occurred due to a ridge of high pressure in the south-east that allowed heat to build over several days in regions already suffering from drought.
Before it reached the UK on Thursday last week as an ex-hurricane, Hurricane Lorenzo passed the Azores in the mid-Atlantic, islands usually famed for their settled, high-pressure weather. The hurricane led to 100mph wind gusts and a storm surge caused flooding in low-lying areas. Hurricanes the size and strength of Lorenzo are rare this far north and east in the Atlantic.
