Thanksgiving plans were interrupted as winter storms marched across the US last week. A record low pressure of 973mb was measured in Crescent City, California. A small area of intense winds, named a “sting jet”, produced gusts above 60mph, peaking at 90mph in Squaw Peak, Oregon. Precipitation and strong winds surrounding a low-pressure system brought hazards into the Great Plains and Midwest later in the week. Up to 53cm of snow fell in Boulder, Colorado, in near-blizzard conditions. One person was killed in a road incident, and hundreds of flights were cancelled out of Denver airport.
Parts of east Africa endured torrential rain over the past week from an abnormally severe rainy season, provoking devastating floods and landslides. Djibouti saw twice its average annual rainfall of 120mm falling in a single day, affecting 250,000 people. Meanwhile, landslides in West Pokot, Kenya led to at least 60 deaths over the weekend, with 120 deaths over the season thus far. Aid has been hindered by damaged infrastructure, with reports of roads with 10m-deep holes and collapsed bridges.
Temperatures reached 40C in the Northern Cape, South Africa last week. The heatwave has worsened drought conditions, following an unusually hot and dry spring.
