In the first week of November, a stretch of weather that belongs to a gentler season settled over New York and Boston, lifting temperatures near 23C and reminding the Northeast how quickly the calendar can be overruled by the air. The warmth was borrowed from the Gulf of Mexico, drawn north by a low-pressure system anchored over the American Midwest. Elsewhere in the same unsettled pattern, storms struck Florida, Oklahoma and Colorado during midterm voting week, and across the Atlantic, the Mediterranean braced for rains that could run for days. The low is expected to drift east and let the co
Late-season heat reaches New York and Boston as storms disrupt US midterm voting
Evacuation warnings were issued across many states and damage to homes was widespread after the Keyes tornado, though no casualties have been reported.
A taste of summer in November, with storms on the ballot
Mark
Why pair a warm spell in New York with floods in the Mediterranean? They're thousands of miles apart.
Mimi
Because both come from the same kind of feature: areas of low pressure. In the US, one in the midwest dragged warm Gulf air up its eastern side. In Europe, another is bringing storms and heavy rain to the Mediterranean.
Mark
And the warmth was significant?
Mimi
Near 23C in New York and Boston, about 7 to 10C above normal for early November. In eastern Canada it was 10 to 15C above normal, with temperatures over 20C.
Luke
Worth noting the report explains this particular warm spell by the low-pressure system. It doesn't tie it to any broader trend, so we shouldn't either.
Mark
What about the voting disruption?
Mimi
Storms affected polling stations in Florida, Oklahoma and Colorado. In Keyes, Oklahoma, a tornado touched down and a polling station had to be relocated.
Luke
The detail is thin, though. We don't know how many polling places were affected, or whether anyone was unable to vote. Only the Keyes relocation is specific.
Mark
Was anyone hurt?
Mimi
No casualties have been reported, although the damage to homes and infrastructure was extensive.
Luke
Careful with the wording: reported so far. Officials in many states have asked for federal aid, but no amounts or damage tallies are given.
Mark
And Europe?
Mimi
Flood warnings in southern France, Corsica and Sardinia, with 50 to 100mm expected and more next week.
Luke
Those are forecasts, not measured totals. They could shift.
Il Polso
- Temperatures near 23C in New York and Boston arrived 7 to 10 degrees above early-November norms, catching a region unprepared for summer-like air.
- A tornado tore through Keyes, Oklahoma, damaging homes and infrastructure and forcing a polling station to relocate in the middle of midterm voting week.
- Flood and evacuation warnings spread across several US states as severe thunderstorms rolled through Florida, Oklahoma and Colorado.
- Officials are requesting federal funding help as damage mounts, though no casualties have been reported so far.
- In southern France, Corsica and Sardinia, forecasters expect 50 to 100mm of rain, with some areas possibly exceeding 100mm and more storms due next week.
In the first week of November, a stretch of weather that belongs to a gentler season settled over New York and Boston, lifting temperatures near 23C and reminding the Northeast how quickly the calendar can be overruled by the air. The warmth was borrowed from the Gulf of Mexico, drawn north by a low-pressure system anchored over the American Midwest. Elsewhere in the same unsettled pattern, storms struck Florida, Oklahoma and Colorado during midterm voting week, and across the Atlantic, the Mediterranean braced for rains that could run for days. The low is expected to drift east and let the cold return, though the Mediterranean may still have its hardest weather ahead.
In New York and Boston this week, the thermometer climbed toward 23C, a reading more fitting for early autumn or late spring than the first week of November. It ran seven to ten degrees above what those cities should expect, and parts of eastern Canada pushed past 20C, well above their own norms. The cause was a low-pressure system over the American Midwest, which dragged warm, humid air north from the Gulf of Mexico even as the rest of the northern hemisphere cooled.
Farther south, the same stormy pattern hit harder. Severe thunderstorms set off flood and evacuation warnings across many states, and the timing could hardly have been worse: it was midterm voting week. In Keyes, Oklahoma, a tornado touched down, damaged homes and infrastructure, and forced a polling station to move. No casualties have been reported, but officials in several states are now asking for federal help to repair the damage.
Across the Atlantic, the Mediterranean faced its own unsettled weather. Authorities in southern France, Corsica and Sardinia issued severe flood warnings as a low brought thunderstorms and torrential rain, with totals of 50 to 100mm expected and localised amounts possibly above 100mm. The rain may be most prolonged in parts of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Occitanie and Corsica, and more is forecast for next week.
The near future is divided. The warmth in the northeast should fade as the Midwest low moves east, but in the Mediterranean the worst of the rain may still lie ahead.
In New York and Boston this week, the thermometer climbed toward 23C (73F), a reading that belongs to early autumn or late spring, not the first week of November. It ran roughly 7 to 10C above what those cities should see at this point in the year. Across the border, parts of eastern Canada topped 20C, about 10 to 15C above normal.
The cause was an area of low pressure sitting over the US midwest. On its eastern flank, it pulled exceptionally warm air north from the Gulf of Mexico, carrying summer-like conditions into the northeast even as the rest of the northern hemisphere slid quickly into autumn. That low is forecast to drift gradually eastward, which should let temperatures settle back toward the seasonal average.
Farther south, the same stormy pattern played out very differently. Severe thunderstorms this week triggered numerous flood warnings and evacuation warnings across many states. The timing mattered: this was midterm voting week, and the disruptive weather affected polling stations in Florida, Oklahoma and Colorado.
The sharpest example came in Keyes, Oklahoma, where a tornado touched down and forced a polling station to be relocated. The tornado caused extensive damage, though no casualties have been reported. Officials in many states have since asked for federal funding assistance, citing widespread damage to homes and infrastructure.
The unsettled weather was not confined to North America. Across the Atlantic, authorities in the Mediterranean regions of southern France, Corsica and Sardinia issued severe flood warnings this week as a low-pressure area brought thunderstorms and torrential rain. Forecasters expect 50 to 100mm (2 to 4in) over the coming days, with localised totals above 100mm possible in the southern French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Occitanie, and in Corsica.
Where the rain is most prolonged, as much as 70 to 80mm could fall within a single 24-hour period. And the pattern is not expected to break quickly: more rain is forecast for next week as low pressure continues to dominate the region.
So the near-term picture is split. In the northeast US, the warmth should fade as the midwest low moves east. In the Mediterranean, the heaviest rain may still be ahead, and the flood warnings are likely to stay in place into next week.
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Leggi l'originale su The Guardian ↗
Climate & Environment