Eastern states of the US have been hit by a nor’easter, an area of low pressure off the east coast that brought heavy snow and strong winds. Boston matched its one-day snowfall record with accumulations of 60cm (23.6in), with the low temperatures and strong gusts bringing wind chills reaching as low as -28C. Even temperatures in Florida plummeted below zero over the weekend, and people were urged to be aware of iguanas falling out of trees as the cold temperatures immobilised them.
Parts of Australia were inundated with heavy rain last week owing to monsoon rains in the north and severe thunderstorms in the south. Monsoon downpours in Townsville, Queensland, resulted in 381mm of rainfall overnight – of which nearly 280mm fell in three hours. In south-east Australia severe thunderstorms developed, causing cars to be swept away and leaving approximately 4,000 homes without power.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Ana struck Madagascar, Mozambique, and Malawi bringing destruction to the region, with nearly 80 recorded deaths and more than 160,000 people displaced, though numbers are feared to be greater. Heavy rain triggered landslides that swept away homes and buildings, and flooding halting the production of electricity in Malawi, plunging most of the country into darkness.
