GLOBAL WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS

JANUARY 2021

INDIA

Close to 120 mm of rain fell in Chennai, India, the city's highest rainfall in a single day for the month of January since 1915 (5th). The heavy downpour resulted in flooding in many parts of the city. Meenambakkam and Nungambakkam registered 50 and 60
mm of rain, respectively, in a 24-hour period on Tuesday morning. By Tuesday evening, the two stations had registered 80 and 100 mm of rain, respectively. Many other areas, such as Tarmani, received up to 120 mm.

EUROPE

Spain registered its lowest temperature on record with Catalan Pyrenees station recording 34.1C (6th). The previous record had stood since 2 February 1956, when -32C was measured in Estany-Gento, Lleida Province. Wednesday's record cold occurred under
calm conditions and clear skies.

Storm Filomena has blanketed parts of Spain in heavy snow, with half of the country on red alert for more on Saturday (8th-10th). Madrid's airport has closed along with a number of roads. On Friday evening, a number of vehicles became stranded on a
motorway near the capital. Firefighters were called in to assist drivers who had become stuck. In some areas the military were called in to help clear roads. According to local media, the snowfall in Madrid is the heaviest in at least 80 years. The
country's AEMET weather agency said the snowfall was "exceptional and most likely historic". In Canada Real, the largest shanty town in western Europe, residents were seen creating a bonfire to keep warm. Madrid on Sunday began working to clear snow from
the blizzard. In the city center, street cleaners worked to clear snow from busy pedestrian areas and footpaths. About 50 cm of snow fell in Madrid by Sunday. By then, the bodies of a man and woman were recovered by the Andalucia region emergency service
after their car was washed away by a flooded river near the town of Fuengirola. The Interior Ministry said a 54-year-old man was also found dead in Madrid under a big pile of snow. A homeless man died of hypothermia in the northern city of Zaragoza, the
local police department reported.

People in central Spain are struggling as a deep freeze follows the weekend's heavy snow, leading to treacherous conditions (12th). Officials have warned the elderly to stay at home. At least seven people have died due to the weather - the two latest
victims were homeless people in Barcelona. The temperature plunged to -25C in Molina de Aragon and Teruel, in mountains east of Madrid. Deep snow left by Storm Filomena has turned to ice, disrupting transport. There has been an extraordinary quantity of
snow and ice for Spain, where winters are usually quite mild.

Storm Hortense left a trail of destruction after it made landfall in Mallorca, Spain (23rd). Significant damage was reported across the island and at least 2 people were injured. Aemet reported a gust of 130 km/h at Son Sant Airport, which broke a record
set in February 1996 at 118 km/h. In the Tramuntana Mountains, a gust of 144 km/h was registered at the Alfabia weather station, though gusts elsewhere reached 170 km/h. According to Spanish media, 26 roads in Mallorca were closed to due landslides and a
number of downed trees.

UNITED STATES

A powerful windstorm hit the Pacific Northwest leaving at least two people dead and more than half a million people without electricity (13th). The storm left a trail of damage, caused a landslide that shut down a highway, and produced a historic wind
gust of 71 mph at Spokane International Airport. More than 430000 customers lost electrical service elsewhere in Washington state and Oregon, officials said. The fatalities were due to falling trees.

A potent winter storm hit Northern California, bringing flooding rains and heavy mountain snow. Up to 36 cm of snow was recorded in the Tahoe region overnight (27th-28th). The storm prompted flood warnings and threats of mudslides, including in areas
previously burned bare by wildfires. About 5000 people remained under evacuation orders as the threat of flooding persisted in the Santa Cruz mountains.

ASIA

A huge snowstorm has struck a highway in north Japan, causing a 130-car pile-up, killing one person and injuring 10 (19th). The storm blanketed a stretch of the Tohoku Expressway in Miyagi prefecture at around 0300 GMT. Some 200 people have been caught
up in the pile-up and rescuers are currently at the scene, officials said. Japan has been hit by severe snow storms in recent weeks with some parts of the country seeing double the average expected snowfall. The snow has affected some of Japan's high-
speed railway network, with a number of train services in the Tohoku region cancelled.

SOUTH AMERICA

Flooding and landslides killed at least two people in Santa Catarina, Brazil, after 104 mm of rain fell in a six-hour period - equivalent to half a month's worth of January rain (24th-25th). Heavy rainfall has been lashing Florianopolis in Santa Catarina
since 21 January. More downpours hit the state in the following days, with almost 40 mm in a 1-hour period on Sunday. According to the Civil Defense, 86 mm of rain fell in a 3-hour period. Floodwaters and landslide debris blocked roads, as well as other
parts of the city. The fire service evacuated 70 people in the Lagoa da Conceicao neighborhood after embankments of a sewage treatment pond collapsed, resulting in at least 35 homes being damaged.

AUSTRAILIA

Parts of Victoria, Australia, had a month's worth of rain in 12 hours while New South Wales was hit by historic rainfall (28th-29th). Melbourne metro recorded 40 mm in just four hours, almost hitting the average January rain of 47 mm. In a 24-hour period
to Friday morning, widespread rainfall totals of 20 to 40 mm were recorded across the state's western region, while totals of 60 to 70 mm were recorded in the upper Avoca and Wimmera catchments. The deluge resulted in inundations, prompting state
emergency services to rescue trapped people. Most of the rescues were stranded drivers and passengers in their vehicles.

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