Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a town on Russia's Kamchatka peninsula, experienced record snowfall last week, with accumulations exceeding 1.8 metres in some areas. Strong winds caused drifting of over 3 metres, burying cars and blocking roads and buildings. Two people died when snow fell from a rooftop.
The extreme event resulted from a clash between moist tropical air, drawn north by a strong Pacific low, and cold Arctic air over the region. Atmospheric rivers, typically associated with heavy rain in California, brought rare and impactful snowfall to the peninsula. Snow began on 12 January and continued intermittently until 16 January, with rates of 2-5 cm per hour.
In the Mediterranean, Storm Harry brought historic rainfall to north-east Tunisia on Tuesday, with 242 mm recorded in Sayada—five times the January average and about 70% of the annual total. Flash flooding caused four deaths in Moknine, including a woman who drowned in her home. Roads were submerged, cutting off communities and hampering emergency services.
Severe rainfall also affected Algeria and Libya, with two additional flood-related deaths reported in Algeria. Storm Harry caused further disruption across Sardinia, Sicily and south-west Italy between 18 and 21 January. Ogliastra in Sardinia received 548 mm of rain in three days, while San Sostene in Italy recorded 570 mm. The extreme weather led to flooding, landslides, evacuations and damage to infrastructure.
