GLOBAL WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS

May 2022

MIDDLE EAST

A thick cloud of orange dust has turned the skies over Iraq orange, as a major dust storm hit large parts of the country. Flights have been grounded at airports in Baghdad and Najaf airports due to poor visibility (1^st). Dust storms have become increasingly common in the Middle East, with experts blaming a combination of climate change and mismanagement of land and water. In some places in Iraq on Saturday, visibility was limited to less than 500 meters. Iraq experienced a series of dust storms last month, with dozens needing hospital treatment for respiratory problems.

Iraq closed public buildings and temporarily shut airports as the ninth sandstorm since mid-April descended (22^nd). More than 1,000 people were hospitalized with respiratory problems, the health ministry said. Flights were also grounded in neighboring Kuwait for a second time this month. The second heavy sandstorm in less than a week also descended on Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh.

CARIBBEAN

Heavy rainfall has been affecting Guadeloupe (overseas Department of France in the Leeward Islands, Lesser Antilles) since 30 April, causing floods and triggering landslides that have resulted in casualties and damage (2^nd). Media reports mention two fatalities, of which one in Le Gosier Town and one more in Les Abymes City (the most populous city of Guadeloupe), both in the Grande-Terre Island. In addition several closed roads and a number of power outages were reported across the Grande-Terre Island.

EUROPE

A severe hailstorm struck Murcia, causing major damage to the apricot crop(2^nd). The Region of Murcia is located in the southeast part of the Iberian Peninsula and produces two-thirds of Spain's apricots. The storm comes one month after early April frost caused massive damage to stone fruit in Ebro valley, one of the most important producing areas of sweet fruit in Europe.

A tornado left 43 people injured as it "cut a path of destruction" through several towns in western Germany, police said. Officers in the city of Paderborn said the tornado ripped off roofs and debris was strewn around for kilometers (20^th). Ten people have serious injuries and one woman's life is in danger, they said. A 38-year-old man also died in severe storms which lashed the region. Police posted images showing trees felled or split in half and roofs stripped of tiles, while images on social media appeared to show a tornado's spinning column of air flinging debris. "Sheet metal, insulation and other materials were blown kilometers away. Countless roofs are covered or badly damaged. Many trees still lie on destroyed cars," said police in Paderborn, which has a population of about 150,000.

Parts of Spain are experiencing their hottest May ever with temperatures of more than 40C in some places, according to the state weather agency, AEMET (20^th-21^st). The agency issued heat warnings in 10 regions for Saturday, saying it could be "one of the most intense" heatwaves in years. The city of Jaen in southern Spain recorded its highest ever May temperature of 40C on Friday.

ASIA

Tropical parts of south-east Asia have seen unusually low temperatures for the time of year (2^nd-4^th). On the 2nd, the Hong Kong Observatory reached 16.4C. This was the lowest May temperature recorded since 1917, and broke the previous record set in 2013. The southern Chinese city of Guangzhou observed a temperature of just 13.7C on the same day, the lowest temperature ever recorded during May. On 4 May, a minimum temperature of 13.6C was also recorded in the Umphang district, Thailand. This is the lowest temperature ever recorded in May in Thailand.

An intense heatwave is sweeping through northern India with temperatures hitting a record 49.2C in parts of the capital, Delhi (16^th). Officials in many parts of the country have asked people to take precautions as temperatures are set to remain high. They warned the heat could cause health concerns for the vulnerable, including infants, the elderly and people with chronic diseases. The states of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Bihar have particularly witnessed soaring temperatures in the past few days, India's weather department said.

Days of flooding and landslides in parts of Bangladesh and eastern India, have affected millions of people and left more than 50 people dead (22^nd). Bangladesh's north-east region has seen some of the worst flooding for nearly two decades.

AUSTRAILIA

Much of Queensland, Australia experienced unseasonably heavy rain and flooding this week, with parts of the state receiving between 3 to 4 months worth of rain in 48 to 72 hours (11^th). Several households experienced power outages in Brisbane City, while floodwaters have cut almost 300 road sections across coastal Queensland. More than 100 mm of rainfall was recorded in 24 hours for coastal areas in Queensland, between Cairns and Townsville, and in Brisbane City, rising several dams at critical severity levels and forcing authorities to release water from Wivenhoe, Somerset and North Pine dams. In just 24 hours, 233 mm of rain fell at Major Creek, south of Townsville. 313.2 mm of rain were recorded at South Johnstone in 72 hours. This includes 191.4 mm in 24 hours, which is the highest daily total for May since 1964. 85 mm fell at Hughenden in 48 hours, which is 4.8 times their May monthly average. Townsville Airport recorded 102 mm of rain in 24 hours three times its May monthly average and the 2nd wettest May day on record.

UNITED STATES

Hundreds have been forced to evacuate from their homes due to a swift-moving wildfire in southern California that has torched some 20 mansions so far (13^th). The Coastal fire in Orange County, south of Los Angeles, has grown to 199 acres since it began on Wednesday 11th. Meanwhile, the largest wildfire in the US has burned around 170 homes in New Mexico, and continues to threaten communities and businesses. The fire season is off to an early start, partly due to a decades-long drought.

SOUTH AMERICA

Temperatures in Brazil began dropping with the approach of Subtropical Storm Yakecan eventually reaching unprecedented lows in the country's south (18^th-19). At least one person has died of hypothermia in Sao Paulo. The Federal District recorded 1.4C on the 19th its coldest temperature in history while Sao Paulo set a new record with 6.6C on the 18th, temperatures unheard of since 1990. Belo Horizonte, the capital city of Minas Gerais, recorded 4.4C its lowest temperature since 1979. Santa Catarina registered -2C and the first snowfall in 15 years.

A hundred people are now known to have died as torrential rain triggered landslides and torrents of mud near the city of Recife in north-east Brazil (26^th-27^th). Rescue workers continued the search for people still missing after poor neighborhoods and shanty towns were swept away in the region. Deadly flooding and landslides have killed hundreds of people in Brazil over the past year. Experts link the bad weather to La Nina, a climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean that can affect weather worldwide.

CANADA

Nearly 900,000 homes in southern Canada were left without power on Saturday after a severe storm hit the provinces of Ontario and Quebec (21^st). Seven people were killed by falling trees and a woman died when a boat capsized in the Ottawa River. Wind gusts reached 82 mph during the storm, according to Environment Canada. Power company Hydro One, which covers Ontario, said it would take several days to reconnect every home. Meanwhile, Hydro Quebec said 550,000 homes there lost power, with nearly 400,000 still suffering power cuts as of 1000 h local time on the 22nd.

TROPICAL

Uruguay has been hit by strong winds and high waves as subtropical cyclone Yakecan swept through the South American nation (18^th). A 23-year-old man was killed when a tree fell on his house amid gusts of 98 km/h in the capital, Montevideo. Seaside roads were covered in foam whipped up by the waves. After battering Uruguay, Cyclone Yakecan moved north to Brazil, where it caused widespread power cuts. In southern Brazil 220,000 homes were left without power as Yakecan blew over trees which in turn cut power lines.