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Portugal and Spain are once more battling the aftermath of widespread flooding following Storm Claudia delivered torrential downpours and strong winds over the past seven days.

Claudia's Formation and Trajectory

This weather system originated from a low-pressure zone that had beforehand driven unseasonably early chilly and snowy weather through the eastern sectors of the Canadian territory and the north-eastern US at the start of November.

This storm moved eastward across the Atlantic Ocean during the second weekend of November before slowing and stalling to the northwestern area of the Iberian region, trapped within a trough of an increasingly amplified atmospheric river.

Impact on Iberia

Spain's Galicia area in the northwest was the first affected, with three to six inches of rain coming down along its west coast in just one full day up to Wednesday night as a slow-moving band of rain crawled across western parts of the region.

More downpours and stormy weather on Thursday last week brought flooding to areas in Portugal where an elderly couple perished in the capital Lisbon after rising waters from the bursting Tagus River flooded their dwelling as they rested.

Stormy conditions lasted through the weekend, with a twister devastating a camping ground and a close-by inn in Albufeira in the south in the Algarve region on Saturday, fatally injuring an British woman aged 85 and wounding 28 people.

Extended Consequences across the European continent

This system triggered more extensive impacts across western Europe. By siphoning heated air from the subtropical zones, the system helped temperatures in south-west France to 85.6 degrees Fahrenheit, the state's maximum ever autumn temperature.

By Friday, this hot and moist atmospheric body collided with a frigid air system across the northern regions of Europe, forming a precipitation zone extending from Ireland's west to Russia.

In the United Kingdom, this stationary front of rain produced very high rainfall totals, resulting in significant waterlogging in the Welsh region.

As this weather phenomenon loses strength in the coming days, the cold air mass will push south, delivering to Europe its premier experience of colder weather.

Parallel Events in the state of California

California underwent an "atmospheric river" recently, delivering torrential rain and strong winds that provoked flash flooding and mudslides in regions impacted by forest fires in the recent past.

More than 50mm of rain poured down in California's southern part on Friday, with a another 50 millimetres widely across the state on Saturday last.

In excess of 100 millimetres of rain fell over coastal parts of the state's south in aggregate, hitting a full 200 millimetres in spots on high ground.

An atmospheric river is a narrow band of warm, moist air originating from the tropical or subtropical regions.

Locations with fire damage including Palisades and Altadena endured the most intense the sudden floods and landslides, prompting evacuations.

Across California, a man in his seventies passed away after his automobile was washed off a flooded bridge, and a young girl aged seven and her parent were swept into the ocean by large waves on the California's Central Coast.