On September 2, 2023, the eastern Indian state of Odisha faced an extreme weather event with a staggering 61 000 lightning strikes in just two hours, leading to 12 deaths and 14 injuries.
A torrential downpour caused by the slow-moving storm Dana overwhelmed Spain on September 3, 2023, leading to significant flooding across central and eastern parts of the nation. Marked as the most intense storm of the year, cities on the eastern coast reported record-breaking rainfall amounts.
Heavy rains and strong winds affecting parts of Norway since August 6, 2023, caused widespread flooding, landslides and a partial collapse of the Braskereidfoss power dam on the Glomma River. The ra country reportedly suffered the heaviest rains in 25 years.
At least three people have died in Slovenia due to severe flooding after more than a month’s worth of rain fell in just 10 hours on August 4, 2023. The catastrophic event caused evacuations, cut off roads, flooded buildings, and prompted the prime minister to describe the situation as ‘catastrophic.’ The floods could be the biggest since Slovenia’s independence in 1991.
The remnants of Typhoon “Doksuri” battered northern China from July 29 to August 1, 2023, unloading an entire year’s worth of rainfall and triggering devastating floods. The worst affected were Beijing and Hebei’s Zhuozhou where more than 1.2 million people were evacuated. At least 30 people have lost their lives and more than 30 remain missing.
The remnants of Typhoon “Doksuri” dropped record-breaking rainfall in China’s capital Beijing on July 30 and 31, 2023, leading to severe flooding. The historic rainfall measuring 687 mm (27 inches) over 48 hours resulted in at least two deaths and the evacuation of more than 50 000 people. This extreme rainfall event is still in progress.
Italy confronts contrasting weather extremes as violent thunderstorms, accompanied by giant hailstones, struck northern parts of the country on July 24, 2023, leaving two people dead and causing widespread destruction. In contrast, southern Italy grapples with persistent heatwaves, causing wildfires and the temporary closure of Palermo airport.
Severe storms, characterized by high winds and large hail, swept across the United States from the southern Plains to the Northeast on Thursday, July 20, 2023, resulting in one fatality and leaving more than 500 000 customers without power. The storms, which reached their height in the evening, caused widespread damage to crops, trees, and buildings.
On July 19, 2023, slow-moving thunderstorms dumped over 254 mm (10 inches) of rain in western Kentucky, prompting a state of emergency declaration due to severe flooding that instigated multiple evacuations and led to extensive road damage.
A powerful, fast-moving thunderstorm swept over northern Croatia on July 19, 2023, bringing winds up to 180 km/h and leaving massive damage in its wake. According to preliminary analyses, this event was one of the most severe thunderstorms in Zagreb’s recorded history. Unfortunately, the storm claimed the lives of 4 people and left over 2 000 others injured.
