Storm Charles causes floods and flight cancellations across southern Europe
Heavy rain and strong winds have also caused disruption across British Columbia, Canada, over the last week Storm Charles has brought destructive weather to the Iberian peninusla this week, particularly in Portugal and the far south of Spain. Heavy rain and strong south-westerly winds arrived first in the Portuguese island of Madeira, before the system headed towards the mainland on 11 November.…
Heavy rain and powerful winds have wreaked havoc across southern Europe this week, with Storm Charles bringing severe weather to the Iberian Peninsula, particularly Portugal and Spain. The system first hit the Portuguese island of Madeira before making its way to the mainland on November 11th. An 84.5mph (136 km/h) gust was recorded at Funchal airport, while Madeira received 355mm of rainfall in just 12 hours.
Lisbon faced 183 flight cancellations, around one-third of its typical daily traffic, and Madrid Barajas airport saw 155 cancellations. Subsequent heavy rain and flooding prompted further disruptions in Spain and Portugal. The storm then moved north-east through southern France, causing significant flooding and rockfalls in Cannes, leading to road closures along the French Riviera. Italy's weather service issued a red rainfall warning, its highest level, for the region from Tuscany to Venice.
Additional heavy rain is expected in Italy and the Balkans over the next few days, with up to 200mm of precipitation possible, particularly in mountainous areas. British Columbia, Canada, has also been hit by successive rounds of heavy rain and strong winds over the past week. More than 400,000 customers lost power between Monday and Friday, and another 135,000 were without power on the weekend due to downed trees, flooded roads, and landslides.
Winds reached 72.1mph (116 km/h) on Herbert Island and 60mph (96 km/h) at Victoria International Airport.
Warnings were issued for British Columbia’s Vancouver Island and southern coastal areas, with rainfall totals exceeding 100mm recorded at multiple stations. The River Forecast Centre also issued flood warnings across the south coast, anticipating an increased risk of flash flooding and landslides. A further low-pressure system is expected to bring more torrential rain and strong winds to the region over the weekend, with more than 100mm likely across central and southern Vancouver Island and gusts exceeding 60mph.
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