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Portugal and Spain are once more dealing with the consequences of extensive flooding after Tempest Claudia brought torrential downpours and powerful gusts last week.

The Storm's Formation and Trajectory

This meteorological event developed from a low-pressure zone that had previously driven early season cold and snowy conditions through the eastern regions of the Canadian territory and the north-eastern US during the beginning of the eleventh month.

The system moved eastward across the Atlantic Ocean in the middle of the second week of November before decelerating and halting to the northwestern area of the Iberian region, snared in a dip of an ever more meandering atmospheric river.

Impact on Spain and Portugal

Galicia in north-west Spain was hit first, with 80-150mm of rain coming down along its Atlantic coast in just one full day up to Wednesday night as a sluggish front of rain crawled across western parts of the Iberian peninsula.

Additional rainfall and electrical storms on Thursday led to floods to parts of Portugal where an older couple perished in Lisbon after rising waters from the bursting Tagus River flooded their dwelling as they rested.

Stormy conditions continued into the weekend, with a violent whirlwind devastating a outdoor lodging area and a adjacent hotel in the town of Albufeira in southern Portugal on Saturday, claiming the life of an British woman aged 85 and harming 28 people.

Wider Effects across Europe

The storm produced more extensive impacts across Europe's western part. By drawing warm air from the subtropics, the system contributed to thermometers climbing in southwestern France to 85.6 degrees Fahrenheit, the nation's all-time high November temperature.

By Friday, this warm and humid air mass clashed with a cold air mass across the northern areas of Europe, creating a rainfall belt extending from western Ireland to the Russian Federation.

In the UK, this halting system of rain produced very high rainfall totals, resulting in significant waterlogging in the principality of Wales.

As Claudia continues to weaken early this week, the frigid air will push south, providing the continent its initial glimpse of colder weather.

Simultaneous Occurrences in the state of California

The Golden State encountered a so-called atmospheric river last week, bringing torrential rain and high-velocity gusts that provoked rapid flooding and debris flows in areas impacted by wildfires previously in the year.

Over two inches of rain poured down in the southern region of the state on the week's end, with a another 50 millimetres broadly over the state on Saturday last.

Over four inches of rain accumulated over shoreline regions of the state's south in all, attaining 200mm overall in spots on high ground.

An atmospheric river is a plume of warm, moist air stemming from the equatorial or near-equatorial zones.

Locations with fire damage including Pacific Palisades and the town of Altadena suffered the most intense the rapid inundations and mudslides, leading to evacuations.

Elsewhere in California, a 71-year-old man died after his car was carried away from a inundated overpass, and a seven-year-old girl and her parent were dragged into the Pacific by powerful waves on the Central Coast.