On October 12, 2023, two long-track tornadoes swept through parts of Tampa Bay, Florida, U.S., significantly affecting Citrus, Pinellas, and Pasco counties. The early morning twisters caused extensive damage, leading to road closures and class cancellations in Citrus County.
Several Atmospheric Rivers (ARs) are set to influence the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and Northern California starting Friday, October 13, 2023, and lasting through the following week. This sequence of weather events is forecasted to bring considerable rain, though no rivers are expected to exceed flood levels.
Category 4 Hurricane “Lidia” made landfall along the coast of west-central Mexico near Las Penitas in the state of Jalisco around 23:50 UTC on October 10, 2023, with maximum winds estimated to be near 220 km/h (140 mph).
Tropical Storm “Max” formed at 03:00 UTC on October 9, 2023, and made landfall 15 hours later just west of Puerto Vicente Guerrero, Mexico, with winds of 105 km/h (65 mph). Originating south of Central America, the storm intensified rapidly, bringing with it a threat of heavy rainfall and potential mudslides. Max is closely followed by Lidia, currently an intensifying tropical storm, which is expected to make landfall over west-central Mexico as a hurricane.
A tornado struck Kashiani upazila of Gopalganj, Bihar, India around 15:30 local time on October 5, 2023, damaging approximately 25 business establishments, temples, trees, and electric poles. There were no reported casualties.
Over the next couple of days, the focus of impactful weather in the United States will shift into the northeastern region where a deepening upper-level trough is forecast to interact with the circulation associated with Tropical Storm “Philippe” currently moving northward across the western Atlantic toward Bermuda.
Typhoon “Koinu” made landfall in Cape Eluanbi, southern Taiwan, on October 4, 2023, breaking wind speed records and injuring 190 people. Despite the high winds and significant rainfall, no deaths have been reported.
Late Tuesday, October 3, 2023, parts of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil and Uruguay were struck by severe weather conditions that included giant hail and intense lightning. The hail ranged from “very large” to “giant”. Damage to homes, buildings, and infrastructure has been reported, although official estimates are not yet available. Further adverse weather conditions are forecasted for Wednesday.
A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) triggered a rapid surge in water levels along the Teesta River basin in Sikkim, India at approximately 01:30 LT on Wednesday, October 4, 2023. The water levels soared to heights of 5 – 6 m (15 – 20 feet), resulting in significant infrastructure damage, at least 8 fatalities, and more than 60 individuals reported missing.
Major flooding occurred in Dominica and Guadeloupe on October 2 and 3, 2023, as Tropical Storm Philippe’s tail brought torrential rains to the northern Leeward Islands.
