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The snowy weather brought by the "Francis" cyclone has been prevailing in the Russian capital for several days. As a result, the snow depth in Moscow has exceeded 65 centimeters.
Although central streets have been partially cleared of snow, a tense situation has arisen in the surrounding districts. The Moscow city hall announced that 130,000 workers and 15,000 pieces of equipment have been mobilized to clear the streets of snow. However, continuous snowfall has hindered the clearing of streets and roads.
Numerous videos of people being stuck on streets and roads have circulated on social media.
Traffic on the Moscow Ring Road has been paralyzed.
Due to the heavy snow, entry to Moscow from regional directions has been blocked. The traffic jam on the Yaroslavl Highway has reached 20 km, and people have been stuck in traffic for more than six hours.
Meteorologists reported that the snow will continue until late today. It was noted that more than half of the monthly precipitation norm will fall on January 9. Snow was observed with strong winds. An orange weather warning was issued for Moscow due to the snowstorm.
© Chris GeorgieffA large boat washed onto rocks as Ex-Tropical Cyclone Koji hit Bowen on Sunday morning.
The ex-cyclone crossed the north Queensland coast between the towns of Ayr and Bowen on Sunday morning, weakening into a tropical low-pressure system.
However, authorities said significant rainfall remained a concern, with the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) predicting some areas could see up to 340 millimetres in the next 24 hours.
Coastal areas between Ayr and St Lawrence had been tipped to get the worst of the weather on Sunday, but the danger zone extended south towards Rockhampton from Monday, according to the BOM.
On Sunday, a severe weather warning for heavy rainfall remained in place for an area south of Proserpine to Gladstone.
"The system has the potential to produce locally more intense rainfall, which may produce life-threatening flash flooding," forecaster Sue Oates said.
Several flood warnings also remained in place for areas including Finch Hatton and Eungella to the west of Mackay.
Strong winds and rough ocean conditions have led to several boats breaking free of their anchorages off the coast and being pushed on to shore.
Switzerland's Glacier 3000 was already posting the world's deepest snow at 3.8m (13 feet) before the storm.
Saint Sorlin d'Arves is the French Alps is posting the most over 72 hours, with 165cm (5.5 feet). Switzerland's Saas-Fee say they've had 1.4m (just under five feet) and a number of resorts including Chamonix, Les 2 Alpes, St Gervais Les Arcs and La Thuile in Italy say they've had 1m or more. Ski areas in the Pyrenees have also reported up to 90cm (3 feet) of snowfall.
As a result of the combination of snow and weather factors the avalanche danger is now very high in many areas of France and Western Italy and Switzerland, among others. An off-piste ski touring avalanche fatality was reported in the Aosta Valley on Saturday.
In Switzerland the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF), issued the "high" danger level (level 4 out of 5) saying the highest danger is in Valais, southwestern Switzerland, and in the eastern part of the northern slopes of the Swiss Alps. Skiers are advised to avoid skiing off-piste in these areas.
Flash flooding in Ladysmith.
Bergville flooding
According to Okhahlamba Chief Fire Officer Fred Halgreen, no fatalities were reported, with flooding lasting about an hour and a half. The flash flood, caused by storm-water, poured down the main street and flooded several shops.
Halgreen confirmed that a damage assessment is being conducted today (January 11).
© Rob Wildeboer/For the Sun-TimesA car passes through a flooded viaduct Thursday night on Western Avenue under the Metra tracks just south of Grand Avenue.
O'Hare Airport, the official climate site of Chicago, recorded 1.92 inches of rain — shattering the daily record of 1.18 inches for Jan. 8 set in 1935, according to the National Weather service.
Further south, Midway Airport recorded 2.06 inches and southwest suburban Bridgeview and Homer Glen recorded 2.58 inches and 2.77 inches of rain, respectively, the weather service said. Winds reached 30 to 40 miles per hour with gusts reaching as high as 50 mph.
Most of the rain fell in a roughly four-hour window, between 6 and 10 p.m., and caused widespread flooding in streets and basements throughout the metro area.
"Climatologically, this is quite an anomaly," Todd Kluber, a meteorologist with the weather service, said of the heavy rainfall rates. "Also, the ground is already saturated, so we're not necessarily able to absorb some of that precipitation because of the snow that we've had recently."
France and Germany battered by strong winds and plunging temperatures, as schools closed and travel disrupted
Germany is expecting heavy snowfalls of up to 20cm after record winds of more than 210kph left almost 400,000 homes in France without electricity, as Storm Goretti battered north-western Europe.
No major or widespread damage to property was reported in France on Friday but one man was seriously hurt after slipping from his roof while trying to replace fallen tiles and 27 others suffered minor injuries, several requiring hospital treatment.
France's national weather service, Météo-France, had issued severe weather warnings urging residents to remain home. Gusts of 213kph (132mph) and 216kph (134mph) were recorded overnight at Gatteville and Val-de-Saire in Normandy.
Windspeed records were also broken in Brittany, and a gust of 148kph (92mph) was registered at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. More than 380,000 homes mainly, in Normandy and Brittany, were without power on Friday lunchtime.
© Daniel Reinhardt/AFP/Getty ImagesWorkers clear snow from the platforms at Hamburg's main railway station during heavy snowfall on Friday.
No major or widespread damage to property was reported in France on Friday but one man was seriously hurt after slipping from his roof while trying to replace fallen tiles and 27 others suffered minor injuries, several requiring hospital treatment.
France's national weather service, Météo-France, had issued severe weather warnings urging residents to remain home. Gusts of 213kph (132mph) and 216kph (134mph) were recorded overnight at Gatteville and Val-de-Saire in Normandy.
Windspeed records were also broken in Brittany, and a gust of 148kph (92mph) was registered at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. More than 380,000 homes mainly, in Normandy and Brittany, were without power on Friday lunchtime.
Dozens of flights are currently not arriving or departing from London Heathrow and Birmingham airports due to the weather conditions. The Met Office has issued several alerts across the country for snow, wind, rain and ice, including the red warning for strong winds in south-west England and an amber for heavy snow in central parts of the country.
Travel chaos is also hitting the roads with trees falling and road closures due to thick blankets of snow. As well as travel disruption the weather has also led to power outages. Met Office chief forecaster Neil Armstrong described Storm Goretti as "a multi-hazard event", with the most significant impacts from snow in parts of Wales and the Midlands and very strong winds in the south-west.
© KFORDamage in Purcell, Okla., on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, after severe storms came through the state.
A tornado that was at least an EF1, with wind speeds between 86-110 mph (138-177 kph), struck the area of Purcell, some 40 miles (65 kilometers) south of Oklahoma City, said Phillip Ware, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Norman. He said crews will also be surveying damage in the Shawnee area, where another tornado was confirmed by radar.
"We're confident we had at least two tornadoes this morning," Ware said.
There were no immediate reports of major injuries or deaths.
Much of Purcell, a city of about 7,000, was without power after the storm moved through there, said Bobby Elmore, chief of police and interim city manager. He said some metal barns were damaged, as were the roofs of some homes.
Following warnings from the Turkish State Meteorological Service, gale-force winds began sweeping through Istanbul in the morning hours, intensifying over the Bosphorus and the Marmara Sea.
In Beşiktaş, large waves slammed into the shoreline, creating hazardous conditions along the coast.
Maritime operations were brought to a grinding halt, as treacherous sea conditions made navigation impossible.
Beşiktaş - Kadıköy passenger boat services were suspended, while some ferry lines announced multiple cancellations.
Comment: The Business Standard reported on January 11