The arrival of Storm Ciarán is anticipated in the UK, Ireland, France, and the Iberian peninsula during the night of Wednesday and into Thursday. Winds reaching up to 100mph (160km/h) could occur along the western coast of France before spreading through the Channel. Wind speeds of over 80mph are expected in Brittany and the western coast of France, and windy conditions are likely to persist throughout the weekend.

There is a high probability of torrential rainfall in western France and the northwestern Iberian peninsula, which could lead to flooding. Along the northern coasts of Spain and Portugal, as well as the French coastline, there is also a risk of coastal inundation due to strong winds and low pressure causing sea swell. Other parts of France may also experience heavy rainfall.

When there is a need for severe weather warnings, low-pressure systems are given names to inform and allow the public to prepare. European meteorological agencies work together to come up with these names, and the western group, including UK Met Office, Ireland’s Met Éireann, and the Netherlands’ KNMI, named Storm Ciarán.

On the other side of the Atlantic, a chilly weather is expected to sweep the US this week, with temperatures 10-15C below the seasonal norm as a cold front spreads south. Denver, Colorado, endured a daytime maximum of about -1C (30F) on Sunday, 18C below average.

Temperatures in Denver are expected to drop to a frigid -11C on Monday and Tuesday, which is 11C lower than the usual for this time of year. Although it will be significantly colder than normal, it won’t break the October record of -18.9C, set in 1917 in Boulder.

In the southern region, San Antonio, Texas, is predicted to reach a low of only 9 degrees Celsius on Monday, which is 16 degrees below the typical temperature. However, the chilly weather is anticipated to improve by the week’s end.

South Africa and Lesotho have also been gripped by an unusually cold spell, with maximum temperatures struggling to reach double figures on Monday and Tuesday. Johannesburg is expected to reach daytime highs of about 8C, 16C below the average for late October.

Source: theguardian.com