A state of local emergency was declared by Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown on May 9, 2023, due to severe floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall. The MetService reported rain rates of 40 – 50 mm (1.6 – 1.9 inches) per hour in certain areas of Auckland, leading to significant disruption and causing over 200 weather-related emergency calls.
Nearly 500 000 people in Jiangxi province were affected by heavy rains from Friday to Sunday, May 5 – 7, 2023, leading to the evacuation of around 14 000 residents and causing an estimated 520 million yuan ($75.2 million) in direct economic losses. China’s State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters launched a level-IV emergency response for flood control on May 6. Rescue operations are underway.
Heavy rainfall affecting parts of Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region since May 2, 2023, caused rivers to rapidly rise and overflow, causing severe floods that claimed at least two lives. Emilia-Romagna Governor Stefano Bonaccini said they are in the process of declaring a state of emergency.
Severe thunderstorms produced intense hailstorms over parts of the southern US on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, with golf ball to grapefruit-sized hail reported over parts of Texas and a historic hailstorm over Florida.
A historic hailstorm hit Havana, Cuba on April 20, 2023, with hail the size never before seen in Cuba. This event will enter history books as one of the most important hailstorm events in known history.
Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms hit the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo from April 15 to 17, 2023, causing casualties and property damage.
A frontal system will bring the potential for severe storms with large to giant hail, damaging winds, and locally heavy rain from the southern Plains to the Midwest on Wednesday, April 19, and Thursday, April 20, 2023.
Severe weather, including heavy rainfall, strong wind, and severe hailstorms, wreaked havoc in southern Brazil from April 16 to 17, 2023, causing floods and damage to hundreds of homes.
A catastrophic flood event hit Fort Lauderdale, Florida on April 12, 2013, after extreme 508 mm (20 inches) of rain fell over the region in just 12 hours. Historic rainfall forced National Weather Service to issue a rare Flash Flood Emergency for Hollywood, Dania Beach, and Fort Lauderdale, warning residents a life-threatening situation was unfolding.
A sprawling Colorado low brought freezing rain and thunderstorms to Ontario and Quebec on April 5, 2023, causing power outages for more than 1 million customers or about 2.5 million people. Unfortunately, it’s expected that some of the residents will remain without power through the weekend.
