November 2023. Natural disasters across the world. Latest events.
We're facing intense weather conditions around the Globe, causing natural disasters and extreme events. The reality of the climate crisis is hard to ignore. So, let's explore some of the major incidents that have happened recently.
Storm Ciaran caused severe flooding in northern France.
Last Tuesday, November 7th, northern France got hammered with flooding in towns across the Pas-de-Calais region. Blame it on the heavy rainfall that followed storms Ciaran and Domingos, pushing the Aa river to almost overflow. Around 60 towns took a hit, causing significant damage. Schools shut down, and seven people got hurt. A whopping 1,500 firefighters jumped into action to handle the mess.
Intense eruptive activity at Italy’s Mount Etna.
Italy's Mount Etna, that active volcano everyone talks about, decided to put on a fiery display on the evening of Sunday, November 12th. The Sicilian sky lit up after a quiet few months. Etna's eruptive column reached around 4,500 meters above sea level. Surprisingly, you can actually visit the volcano even when it's spewing lava, thanks to its generally low-level volcanic activity.
Storm Debi leaves a trail of destruction in Ireland.
Storm Debi came charging through Ireland on Monday, November 13th, leaving destruction in its wake. Coastal flooding and power outages hit around 100,000 homes and businesses. Winds were fierce, trees toppled, and local authorities scrambled to fix things after lifting red and orange weather alerts. Galway City and Oranmore took a hit, with a gust reaching a whopping 115 kilometers per hour. The Met Office warned of potential flooding and disruptions to travel.
Thunderstorms and heavy rains caused flooding In Milwaukee, USA.
Taking a quick look outside of Europe, Wisconsin's largest city, Milwaukee, faced severe thunderstorms on Wednesday, November 8th. The storms brought heavy rain and flooded several streets, including the downtown area. Alderman Mark Chambers Jr. assured everyone that the city was on it, working with the Commissioner of Public Works to tackle the flooding issues.
First snowfall in New Mexico, USA.
On Friday, November 10th, a storm system swept across New Mexico, bringing both rain and heavy snow. You can find a lot of images and footage made by locals, showing the snow in their backyards. Even Santa Fe was affected by snow. The National Weather Service warned drivers about slippery roads in the mountainous areas on Friday morning, as snow fell on the town of Ruidoso and others.
Unusual temperatures in Tokyo.
Meanwhile, in Tokyo, things heated up this week as temperatures reached 27.5 degrees Celsius on November 7th, marking the warmest November day since 1875. This unusual warmth followed a toasty autumn and summer across Japan. Experts blame El Niño and global warming, predicting the higher temperatures to stick around through November and into December.
Fatal floods in Kenya took at least 15 lives.
Skipping over to Africa, Kenya faced devastating floods with 15 recorded deaths. Blame it on a double whammy of weather phenomena: El Niño and the Indian Ocean dipole. Warmer sea surface temperatures, thanks to these two, led to increased rainfall during East Africa's monsoon season. This, combined with the region's worst drought in 40 years, resulted in the most significant floods in decades. The aftermath of the floods compounds the hardship caused by the region's severe drought.
Chief forecaster and ideologist of the weather forecast service Pogodnik. Co-author of scientific articles and specialized content for various online media.
