On Monday, January 16, the low-pressure system named "Gérard" caused strong gusts of wind in the north of France, causing numerous damages and important power cuts. Many records of wind gusts were recorded as :
- 154 km/h at the Ile de Croix in Morbihan
- 157 km/h at Pointe du Raz in Finistère
- 163 km/h at Carteret in the Manche department
Following the passage of "Gerard", another storm took place in France, especially in the south-west: the storm "Fien" causing heavy rain, snowfall, placing 20 departments in orange alert. In some regions, damage is to be deplored as in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques where the winds reached 150 km/h, causing tree falls, 15,000 power cuts or the flooding of about twenty departmental roads were flooded. Indeed, it was reported that in this region, it rained the equivalent of one month's rainfall in 48 hours.
On January 25, 2023, Japan was hit by heavy snowfall causing severe transportation disruptions and several deaths. Indeed, bad weather conditions, including a cold front and extreme low pressure systems, caused snowfall and strong winds. According to the Secretary General of the Japanese Prime Minister's Office, one person was killed in the storm and investigations are underway to determine the cause of two other deaths. In addition, more than 300 flights were canceled and rail transport was interrupted or delayed in northern Japan. In addition, a Hong Kong-flagged cargo ship sank off the southwest coast of Japan due to high winds. Video : Kyoto under the snow.
There has been massive flooding in the state of Johor in Malaysia, causing disruption and massive displacement of people. According to the National Disaster Management Agency of Malaysia (NADMA), nearly 4,000 people have been accommodated in temporary relief centers in Johor. The National Disaster Management Agency of Malaysia (NADMA) reported that as of noon on Wednesday, January 25, there were 3,937 flood victims in Johor state. This is an increase from the 2,912 flood victims reported by the agency 12 hours earlier.
Flooding is an annual phenomenon in Malaysia due to the northeast monsoon that brings heavy rains from November to March. Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi called for immediate long-term measures to address the country's flooding problem, including holistic flood mitigation projects.
A tropical disturbance that developed in the Indian Ocean basin became a tropical depression named Cheneso and entered the Malagasy lands on January 19, 2023. This tropical storm caused intense rainfall, flash floods, strong winds and dangerous seas. The Northeast, East, Central and Northwest regions were affected. In addition, the western and southwestern coasts of Madagascar remain under the influence of Cheneso and the sea is dangerous in these areas. The port, maritime and river authority has announced the suspension of maritime navigation activities in the region.
Regarding the toll, this strong storm has caused heavy damage in Madagascar, causing three deaths, six missing and 13,180 victims in 8 regions. The material damage includes nearly 4000 houses and 600 hectares of rice fields flooded, as well as 80 schools destroyed.
In recent weeks, a heat wave has hit parts of South Africa, causing eight deaths in a few days. Most of the victims were farm workers in the sparsely populated, semi-arid Northern Cape province. The government has expressed concern about the impact of the heat on parts of the country. Scientists believe that extreme weather events, such as heat waves, are becoming more frequent due to global warming caused by human activities. According to a recent report by the European climate change program Copernicus, the past eight years have been the warmest on record worldwide.