While storms and tropical storms have raged in the Atlantic and Pacific east, Europe has faced extreme weather of its own. A low-pressure system that developed over the Mediterranean midweek moved north-east into southeastern Europe on Thursday afternoon, producing extensive rain showers, stormy weather and lengthy rains.
The system is forecast to remain into Friday, with forecasting tools showing 48-hour accumulations of 80-130mm of rain across much of the Balkans. Highest-level advisories were issued for Serbia, Romania's southwest, northeastern Greece, and the Aegean island groups, highlighting the threat of floods and threat to life. Strong winds also shut down educational institutions on Zakynthos in the Ionian archipelago.
Chilly air masses brought in from Eastern European regions increased the seriousness, producing heavy snowfall across the Dinaric mountain range, with certain forecasts predicting depths of up to 80cm by the coming weekend.
Earlier in the week, Spain's eastern coast and the Balearic Islands experienced severe floods as the leftovers of Hurricane Gabrielle moved across the Iberian region before coming to a halt over the Balearic waters. Valencia and Ibiza were worst affected; Gandia registered over 350 millimeters in a 12-hour period – over tenfold its September average, while the island had 254mm in 24 hours, its most precipitation in a day since at least the mid-20th century.
Highways, transit hubs, green spaces, and school buildings were forced to close, while a rain gauge near Aldaia registered over two inches in just 35 minutes, resulting in the La Saleta waterway to burst its banks. These inundations come nearly one year after destructive flooding in Valencia in the previous year that claimed the lives of over 230 individuals.
The powerful typhoon struck the coast across Vietnam's central region this past week, delivering heavy rain, strong winds, and large swells. In excess of 12 inches of precipitation was measured within a 24-hour span on Monday, triggering rapid flooding and mudslides that blocked thousands of routes and isolated villages across the northern regions. Numerous air travel routes were cancelled or delayed, and train operations between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City were stopped.
There have been 36 fatalities and 147 injuries, with 21 persons still missing. More than 210,000 houses were impacted or inundated, with in excess of 126,000 acres of agricultural produce ruined. National officials has assessed that the storm has resulted in over $350 million in economic losses this past week.
