At least two people have been killed and more injured after torrential rain hit the popular holiday destination of Crete on Saturday morning. Heavy and thunderous rain turned the streets into rivers. The worst effects were felt in the Heraklion part of the island where there was enormous damage. Cars were swept into the sea while beaches were littered with all manner of debris, with the resort of Agia Pelagia on the north coast particularly hard hit.
An area of low pressure moving southeast from Italy brought downpours and torrential thunderstorms to the island, which continued through the afternoon and evening in places before breaking free. The northern and eastern parts of the island received the heaviest rainfall, with 130mm recorded in 30 minutes and around 300mm in three hours.
For context, the western parts of Crete typically get between 500-600mm of rain in an entire year, while the eastern parts only get 300-400mm. As a result, parts of the north-east of the island will have seen almost a year’s worth of rain fall in just a few hours.
Areas of low pressure in the eastern United States have helped push cold air south into many parts of the central and southern parts of the country over the past few days. High pressure has built up over the central parts of the US helping to block colder air into the southern parts of the country. It is expected to remain much colder than average in southern areas over the next few days with temperatures around 10-15C below normal. Some parts that typically see temperatures in the 20s this time of year will struggle to reach double that, while central states like Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri will experience widespread overnight frosts.
Meanwhile, a stagnant area of low pressure off the West Coast has helped bring unusually warm air into Canada from the south. As high pressure builds over the next few days, temperatures will rise to 20C, 10-15C warmer than average for this time of year.