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Once again, Portugal and Spain find themselves dealing with the consequences of widespread inundation after Tempest Claudia unleashed heavy rain and powerful gusts over the past seven days.

Claudia's Formation and Trajectory

The storm system formed from an area of low pressure that had previously caused unseasonably early cold and snowy conditions through the eastern sectors of Canada and the north-eastern United States at the start of November.

Claudia moved eastward across the Atlantic over the second weekend of November before losing momentum and stopping to the northwestern area of the Spanish and Portuguese landmass, caught in the trough of an increasingly amplified atmospheric river.

Consequences for Spain and Portugal

Spain's Galicia area in the northwest was the first affected, with three to six inches 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 crawled across the western sectors of the region.

More downpours and stormy weather on the following Thursday brought flooding to Portuguese localities where an older couple died in the capital Lisbon after water from the overflowing Tagus River flooded their dwelling as they slept.

Stormy conditions persisted into the weekend, with a violent whirlwind devastating a outdoor lodging area and a nearby hotel in Albufeira in the south in southern Portugal on Saturday, claiming the life of an elderly British lady and injuring 28 individuals.

Broader Impacts across Europe

Claudia had more extensive impacts across Europe's western part. By drawing warm air from the warmer regions, the system helped temperatures in south-west France to nearly 30 degrees Celsius, the country's highest recorded autumn temperature.

By the following Friday, this warm and humid air mass clashed with a chilly atmospheric body across more northern parts of the continent, generating a precipitation zone stretching from the west of Ireland to the Russian Federation.

In the United Kingdom, this stalling band of rain brought exceptionally large precipitation amounts, causing significant waterlogging in the principality of Wales.

As this weather phenomenon loses strength at the start of the week, the frigid air will push south, delivering to Europe its initial glimpse of winter.

Parallel Events in California

The Golden State underwent a plume of tropical moisture recently, causing heavy rain and strong winds that resulted in rapid flooding and debris flows in areas scarred by blazes previously in the year.

More than 50mm of rain fell in California's southern part on the week's end, with a additional two inches broadly over the state on Saturday.

More than 100mm of rain fell over coastal parts of the state's south in total, attaining a full 200 millimetres in areas of elevated terrain.

Such a weather system is a concentrated stream of warm, moist air originating from the tropics or subtropics.

Locations with fire damage including Palisades and Altadena region experienced the most severe the sudden floods and mudslides, forcing residents to flee.

Across California, a 71-year-old man died after his automobile was swept off a submerged bridge, and a seven-year-old girl and her dad were swept into the sea by powerful waves on the Central Coast.