Storm Charles brought destructive weather across the Iberian peninsula this week, affecting Portugal and southern Spain after first striking the Portuguese island of Madeira.
On Nov. 11, the system advanced toward the mainland. Funchal airport on Madeira recorded wind gusts of 84.5 mph, accompanied by rainfall totals of 355 millimeters in a 12-hour period.
The storm significantly disrupted air travel. Lisbon experienced 183 flight cancellations on Wednesday, accounting for roughly one-third of its typical daily traffic. Madrid Barajas airport recorded 155 flight cancellations.
After causing widespread flooding across Spain and Portugal, Storm Charles tracked northeast through southern France. The progression led to significant flooding in parts of Cannes and triggered rock falls that necessitated road closures along the French Riviera.
The system then moved toward northern Italy. The Italian weather service issued a red rainfall warning, its highest alert level, for the region extending from Tuscany to Venezia. Forecast models indicate additional heavy rain expected in Italy and the Balkans in coming days, with roughly 100 millimeters of accumulation expected widely and near 200 millimeters in mountainous areas.
In British Columbia, Canada, successive rounds of heavy rain and strong winds over the past week caused widespread disruption. Between Monday and Friday of last week, severe rainfall and intense winds resulted in more than 400,000 customers losing power across the province.
These unsettled conditions persisted into the weekend. Further heavy rain caused an additional 135,000 customers to lose electricity, along with numerous downed trees, flooded roads and landslides.
Strong winds were also recorded Sunday. Herbert Island experienced a gust of 72.1 mph, while Victoria International Airport registered a gust of 60 mph.
On Wednesday, heavy rain warnings were issued for British Columbia's Vancouver Island and southern coastal areas, as multiple weather stations reported rainfall totals exceeding 100 millimeters. The River Forecast Centre issued flood warnings across the south coast, citing continued heavy rain and high streamflow as increasing the risk of flash flooding and landslides.
A new area of low pressure is anticipated to bring torrential rain and strong winds to the region over the upcoming weekend. Central and southern Vancouver Island are likely to receive more than 100 millimeters of rain on Saturday, alongside wind gusts surpassing 60 mph.
