Severe weather struck several parts of France at the weekend causing dramatic scenes, particularly in the south-east.

Heavy rain caused flooding in a number of towns and coastal gales brought down trees. Snow covered the lowest altitudes of the Alps and more than a metre fell in the Pyrénées.

A roadside assistance worker was killed near La Turbie, close to the French border with Monaco, after consecutive accidents on the A8.

The man was responding to an initial accident between two cars, caused by the rainfall, and was subsequently hit by a third vehicle driving too quickly in the heavy rain.

Four other people were injured, two severely, including another roadside assistance worker and two gendarmes.

Last month, in the February 2024 issue of the Kosmographia Newsletter I reported on new research correlating a series of large-scale igneous events which produced the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) and the Siberian Traps with mass extinction episodes. On February 8 another paper was published in the journal Global and Planetary Change which further supports correlations between mass extinction episodes with gigantic volcanic eruptions and catastrophic cosmic impacts. The lead author of the paper is Michael Rampino, who has for decades been in the forefront of researching catastrophic events in Earth history. I have been following his work since the early 1980s and hold him in high regard as a scientist who is willing to think outside established paradigms of Earth history. The abstract to the paper begins:

"We find that Large Igneous Province (LIP) volcanism, mostly continental flood basalts (CFBs), along with the largest extraterrestrial impacts show significant correlations with mass-extinction events in the Phanerozoic geologic record. The ages of the 6 major marine mass extinctions (≥ 40% extinction of genera) of the last 541 MY ̶ the end-Ordovician (~444 Ma), late Devonian (~ 372 Ma), end-Guadalupian (~259 Ma), end-Permian (~ 252 Ma), end-Triassic (~201 Ma), and end-Cretaceous (66 Ma) extinctions are significantly correlated with high-quality U — Pb zircon and 40Ar/39Ar ages of 6 continental flood basalts (CFBs) ̶ the Cape St. Mary's, Viluy, Emeishan, Siberian, CAMP, and the Deccan Basalts.

U — Pb zircon dating (Uranium-lead) is a widely used method for dating metamorphic rocks typically employing a thermal ionization mass spectrometer. Zircon is used because it includes uranium and thorium atoms in its crystalline structure when forming but rejects lead, so any lead found in a zircon crystal is radiogenic, meaning it results from radioactive decay. Argon dating can measure Argon isotopes from a single mineral grain. The ratio of Argon 40 to Argon 39 yields the age of the sample.

The extinctions listed above are considered to be major events in the history of life on Earth. A number of less severe extinctions have taken place, although these events are somewhat more difficult to discern in the geologic/palaeontologic record. Nevertheless, a correlation can be discerned between these extinctions and both volcanic eruptions and cosmic impact.

The city of Corrientes, the capital of the Argentine province of the same name, was left under water Sunday as 209 millimeters of heavy rains caused floods and material damage while vehicles were swept away by the current. Classes were suspended for Monday amid widespread power outages, with streets turned into temporary rivers.

Relief teams were deployed as City Hall authorities urged the population to follow the safety indications and avoid unnecessary displacements as victims were evacuated. The province is under an orange storm alert issued by the National Meteorological Service (SMN).

"It is the worst natural catastrophe since official records exist," Corrientes City Undersecretary of Risks and Catastrophes José Pedro Ruiz said. "We are working intensively with all the equipment at the disposal of the citizens. We started with the most complicated areas, but we are going to be all over the city. The teams will be working for the next 48 hours," he also explained. "Unfortunately there were floods and very damaged sectors because the reality is what we always say: the city's drains are not enough to cope with such intense phenomena, no matter how unblocked and clean they are. It is like unloading a 500-liter tank in a kitchen sink at once, it will clearly collapse."

The Deviandes concessionaire has ordered the total closure of the road from Corcona to Casapalca, so drivers are urged to take alternative routes.

The heavy rains that have fallen in recent days have caused heavy rocks to fall in two sections of the Central Highway, an important road that connects Lima with the mountains.

The RPP correspondent in Junín reported that one of the avalanches was recorded at kilometer 97 of the Central Highway, in the Cacray sector, belonging to the district of San Mateo, province of Huarochirí.

145mph winds and tornado warnings force ski resorts to shut amid avalanche fears

California authorities shut down 100 miles of Interstate 80 on Friday as the biggest snow storm of the season bore down on the Sierra Nevada.

Residents were urged to take shelter and stay off roads as they prepared for up to 10 feet of snow in some areas and damaging winds up to 145mph.

'AAANNNDD WE'RE CLOSED!!' the California Highway Patrol posted on X, saying the closure was due to 'spin outs, high winds, and low visibility. No estimated time of reopening the freeway.'

Authorities closed the interstate in both directions after 5pm on a day when the majority of more than a dozen ski resorts around Lake Tahoe were closed, a tornado touched down in central California and visitors to Yosemite National Park were told to leave.

At least 37 people were killed in rain-related incidents across Pakistan in the past 48 hours, authorities said on Sunday.

The rains that have swept across Pakistan have led to the collapse of houses and triggered landslides that blocked roads, particularly in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province, they said.

At least 27 people, mostly children, reportedly died in rain-related incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan since Thursday night, the provincial disaster management authority said.

Heavy rains and storms led to streams reaching critical levels that caused flash floods in Piura, northern Peru, on Thursday (Feb 29).

Two children have drowned in a wadi in Wilayat of Ibri in Al Dhahirah Governorate, said the Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority (CDAA) on Thursday, February 29, 2024.

Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority said: "Rescue teams from the Civil Defense and Ambulance Department in ⁧‫Al Dhahirah ‬⁩ Governorate responded to the accident of two children drowning in water logged area in Al-Raiba area in ⁧Wilayat of Ibri ‬⁩. The teams were able to recover the bodies of the two children."

‎The Authority calls on everyone to monitor children and keep them away from dangerous places during rain for their safety.

In a devastating turn of events, flash floods have wreaked havoc on Nkhotakota and Karonga, two districts in Malawi located along the shores of Lake Malawi. Authorities have confirmed one fatality and the displacement of thousands, highlighting an urgent call for humanitarian assistance.

Unprecedented Flood Damage

The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) has reported that more than 7,000 individuals in Nkhotakota have been forced to evacuate to safer grounds, with nine camps set up to shelter the displaced. This crisis follows continuous heavy rainfall that has not only claimed lives but also destroyed homes, businesses, and vital infrastructure.

In Karonga, over 600 households face similar dire circumstances, with their livelihoods disrupted by the loss of crops and property due to the swollen North Rukuru River.

The majority of regions in Spain were under orange alert for snowfall, as snow, wind and rain disrupted daily life.

A storm of snow, wind and rain has hit Spain, disrupting or complicating traffic on many roads across almost the entire country.

All regions except Extremadura were put on yellow or orange weather alert in the last few hours.

The orange alert for snowfall has been activated in Cantabria, the Pyrenees and Galicia. In Cantabria, snow accumulations of up to 15 cm are expected from 800 metres above sea level.

In the Basque Country, Navarra and Castilla y León, heavy rains caused rivers to overflow, with flooding cutting off roads in various areas.