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Portugal and Spain are once more dealing with the consequences of extensive flooding in the wake of Tempest Claudia brought heavy rain and powerful gusts over the past seven days.

Claudia's Formation and Trajectory

This weather system originated from an area of low pressure that had previously driven early season freezing temperatures and snowfall through the eastern regions of the Canadian territory and the north-eastern US during the beginning of the eleventh month.

Claudia moved eastward across the Atlantic Ocean over the second weekend of November before decelerating and halting to the north-west of the Spanish and Portuguese landmass, snared in a dip of an increasingly amplified jet stream.

Consequences for the Iberian Peninsula

The northwestern Spanish region of Galicia was initially impacted, with 80-150mm of rain pouring down along its western coastline in just a single day up to the evening of Wednesday as a sluggish front of rain pushed across the western areas of the Iberian peninsula.

Additional rainfall and electrical storms on the following Thursday brought flooding to areas in Portugal where a senior pair perished in the city of Lisbon after rising waters from the bursting Tagus River entered their home as they slept.

Tempestuous weather lasted through the weekend, with a twister devastating a camping ground and a adjacent hotel in Albufeira in Portugal's south on Saturday, killing an elderly British lady and harming 28 people.

Extended Consequences across Europe

This system triggered more extensive impacts across the western European nations. By pulling tropical air from the subtropics, the system assisted in raising temperatures in southwestern France to 29.8C (85.6F), the state's maximum ever autumn temperature.

By Friday, this warm and humid air mass collided with a frigid air system across more northern parts of Europe, creating a precipitation zone running from Ireland's west to Russia.

In the UK, this halting system of rain delivered record-breaking rain accumulations, leading to major inundations in the Welsh region.

As this weather phenomenon continues to weaken at the start of the week, the cold air mass will advance southward, giving Europe its initial glimpse of colder weather.

Simultaneous Occurrences in California, USA

The Golden State underwent a so-called atmospheric river recently, causing heavy rain and powerful winds that led to flash flooding and mudslides in areas impacted by forest fires earlier this year.

Over two inches of rain poured down in California's southern part on Friday, with a another 50 millimetres across extensive areas of California on Saturday.

More than 100mm of rain accumulated over coastal parts of the state's south in total, reaching a full 200 millimetres in spots on high ground.

This meteorological feature is a concentrated stream of hot, humid air stemming from the equatorial or near-equatorial zones.

Locations with fire damage including Pacific Palisades and Altadena endured the worst of the rapid inundations and mudslides, prompting evacuations.

Elsewhere in California, a elderly male passed away after his car was washed off a submerged bridge, and a child of seven years and her parent were dragged into the Pacific by big swells on the Central Coast.