A stagnant low pressure system in the western Mediterranean brought torrential and persistent rain to eastern Spain at the end of last week. Alfondeguilla recorded 195.4mm of rain – almost 8in – in the 24 hours to the morning of 19 October, while the city of Valencia saw 135mm (5in) over the same period. This resulted in flooding, with dozens of people having to be rescued from cars in the Valencian Community.
Hurricane Willa has weakened into a tropical depression over the past 24 hours. Both Willa and Tropical Storm Vicente will bring heavy rain and strong winds to parts of Mexico over the next day or so. The storms will also help to pump moisture northwards into Texas and the Gulf Coast of Florida, which may once again cause flooding in areas just recovering from the damage of Hurricane Michael.
North-eastern parts of the US had a first taste of winter last weekend. A deep area of low pressure clearing eastwards into the Atlantic and an area of high pressure building across western states allowed a cold northerly wind to develop in the east. It resulted in gusty winds and frosts over the weekend and also a few snow showers over the mountains of both western Maryland and West Virginia.
