A winter storm system brought severe weather to many parts of the US over the festive period. Cold air plunged down from the north-west and produced heavy snowfall. Further east and south, conditions were less cold but the system brought heavy rain and significant flooding. There was unusually heavy snow as far south as New Mexico, with the city of Albuquerque issuing a blizzard warning for the first time. The extreme conditions were responsible for several fatalities and substantial transport disruption.
In the southern hemisphere, the end of December brought intense hot weather for parts of Australia. The extreme temperatures were the result of a large and persistent area of high pressure, which allowed the heat to build. Although hot weather is not unusual at this time of year, temperatures across many areas were significantly higher than what would be typically expected, and resulted in both extreme heat and severe fire warnings.
Temperatures at Marble Bar, Western Australia, on 27 December peaked at 49.3°C. The extreme heat followed on from some intense summer hailstorms, which affected Sydney and the New South Wales coastline. The damage caused by the storms has already been declared one of the most expensive for insurers.
