Thunderstorms have been widespread in southern Europe over the past week, from Spain right across to Turkey. Over the border in Georgia a single violent thunderstorm sat motionless for a number of hours, dropping several inches of rain over nearby mountains.
The rain turned the normally small river flowing through the capital, Tbilisi, into a raging torrent that caused devastation. Up to 19 people were killed while more than 40 homes were destroyed as flood waters gouged new channels through neighbourhoods. The city’s zoo was badly damaged, which led to a number of animals dying, and others including tigers, lions, and a hippopotamus escaping to the city – with fatal results for those perceived as dangerous.
An early Atlantic tropical storm to make landfall this season took the form of Bill, which brought 40mph winds and heavy rain to southern Texas on Tuesday. There was nearly 15cm (6in) of rain south of Houston in less than six hours.
As this storm moves north-east it is expected to produce more than 20cm of rain in parts of east Texas and south Oklahoma. These areas were hit hard this spring, with record rainfall recorded in May. Further excessive rainfall from Bill is expected to bring more flooding.
Meanwhile, in Australia, thunderstorms have been causing some unusual weather conditions. One potent thunderstorm over the heart of the interior produced up to an inch of hail around Alice Springs. The bright red sands around the town, made famous by the Uluru landmark, were transformed to a white landscape by marble-sized hail.
