An exceptional summer storm named Poly by the German Weather Service wreaked havoc in the Netherlands on July 5, 2023. Recognized as the strongest summer storm ever and the overall strongest since January 2018, Poly brought record-breaking wind speeds to the country, causing widespread damage and claiming at least one life.
The Australian state of Queensland witnessed its warmest June on record this year, followed by unprecedented rainfall in early July, breaking long-standing monthly records within just a few days.
Outback Queensland was pounded by record-breaking rainfall, with some regions receiving up to 15 times their average monthly rainfall in just a few days. The unseasonal weather, brought about by a northwest cloud band since Friday, June 30, 2023, was accompanied by a cold blast that drastically reduced temperatures.
In response to severe flooding over the past couple of days, over 10 000 individuals were urgently evacuated in China’s central Hunan province, according to the Xiang’xi Emergency Management Bureau. The devastation included the collapse of around 70 homes, damages to 2 283 others, and flooded farmlands, leading to estimated losses of around 575 million yuan ($79 million).
On Saturday, July 1, 2023, parts of Western Honshu and the Kyushu region in Japan were hit with record-breaking rainfall, resulting in one confirmed fatality, two missing individuals, and extensive damage to over 270 homes. This extreme weather event has prompted evacuation orders in several municipalities.
Pre-monsoon rainfall continues to wreak havoc in Pakistan, with the death toll rising to 32 and 48 injured as of July 3, 2023. Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan provinces bear the brunt, with 32 homes reported damaged.
A destructive, fast-moving tornado that formed from a long-lasting supercell storm destroyed five homes, damaged 12, and caused loss of livestock in Alberta’s Mountain View County on July 1, 2023. No human injuries or fatalities were reported.
Two individuals went missing on July 1, 2023, after a road in Rivière-Éternité, Quebec, Canada, gave way due to a landslide triggered by a river surge. The pair, along with a man now in critical condition, were clearing debris after a thunderstorm when the incident occurred.
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.9 hit the Tonga region at 10:27 UTC on July 2, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 225 km (139.8 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.7 at a depth of 224 km (139.1 miles).
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M5.8 hit near the coast of Java, Indonesia at 12:57 UTC on June 30, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 85.7 km (53.2 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
