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The Iberian nations are again dealing with the consequences of significant flooding in the wake of Tempest Claudia delivered heavy rain and powerful gusts last week.

Claudia's Origin and Path

This weather system formed from a low-pressure zone that had beforehand caused unseasonably early cold and snowy conditions through the eastern regions of Canada and the north-eastern US at the start of November.

The system moved eastward across the Atlantic Ocean during the second weekend of November before slowing and stalling to the northwestern area of the Iberian region, caught in the trough of an progressively more wavy air current.

Effects in Spain and Portugal

Galicia in north-west Spain was the first affected, with three to six inches of rain falling along its Atlantic coast in just one full day up to the evening of Wednesday as a slow-moving band of rain pushed across western parts of the region.

Additional rainfall and electrical storms on Thursday brought flooding to parts of Portugal where a senior pair died in the city of Lisbon after rising waters from the bursting Tagus River flooded their dwelling as they were asleep.

Unsettled atmospheric states continued into the weekend, with a tornado tearing through a outdoor lodging area and a close-by inn in the town of Albufeira in Portugal's south on Saturday, claiming the life of an elderly British lady and harming two dozen and eight persons.

Extended Consequences across Europe

Claudia had broader repercussions across the western European nations. By siphoning heated air from the subtropics, the system helped temperatures in southwestern France to 85.6 degrees Fahrenheit, the country's highest recorded late autumn reading.

By Friday, this tropical air mass collided with a cold air mass across more northern parts of the continent, creating a band of rain extending from Ireland's west to Russia.

In the UK, this stationary front of rain brought record-breaking rain accumulations, leading to significant waterlogging in the Welsh region.

As Claudia continues to weaken at the start of the week, the frigid air will advance southward, delivering to Europe its first taste of colder weather.

Simultaneous Occurrences in California, USA

The US state of California experienced an "atmospheric river" last week, bringing heavy rain and powerful winds that led to sudden inundations and landslides in regions impacted by forest fires earlier this year.

In excess of 50 millimetres of rain poured down in southern California on the week's end, with a another 50 millimetres across extensive areas of California on Saturday last.

In excess of 100 millimetres of rain was deposited on coastal areas of Southern CA in total, hitting 200mm overall in locations at higher elevations.

Such a weather system is a plume of tropical, saturated air stemming from the tropical or subtropical regions.

Locations with fire damage including the Pacific Palisades area and Altadena endured the most intense the flash flooding and landslides, forcing residents to flee.

In other parts of the state, a 71-year-old man lost his life after his vehicle was swept off a inundated overpass, and a young girl aged seven and her parent were dragged into the ocean by powerful waves on the the state's central shoreline.