Significant weather news around the globe this week
A powerful cyclone, flooding rain and unseasonable warmth will all make headlines this week.
First is the landfall of dangerous Tropical Cyclone Debbie in Queensland on Tuesday morning local time. The storm is expected to be the equivalent of a Category 3 storm in the Atlantic of East Pacific.
Winds gusts over 160 km/h (100 mph) will be possible near landfall which is expected between Townsville and Mackay.
Flooding rain will be a more widespread problem impacting much of eastern Queensland with downpours reaching all the way to Brisbane.
Rainfall of 4-8 inches (100-200 mm) will be common with locals amounts over 12 inches (300 mm) near and just inland of the landfall location. Debbie will be the first cyclone to make landfall in Queensland this tropical season.
Another noteworthy weather story this week will be unseasonable warmth overspreading much of southern and western Europe.
By Wednesday and Thursday, widespread warmth will be felt from Spain through the southern United Kingdom, France and Germany and into Italy and the Balkan Peninsula.
The temperature is expected to reach 70 F (21 C) in Paris during this time, marking the first such instance since the middle of October.
South America could end up in the news again for flooding this week. While more rain in northern Peru could exacerbate the deadly flooding that has been ongoing in the region, a new threat will emerge farther south.
The above graphic shows potential rainfall for the upcoming week based on the GFS model highlighted by extreme rainfall in parts of Argentina.
Repeated rounds of rain in western and central Argentina could lead to flooding, especially later in the week after initial rainfall has softened the road and increased river levels.
Tremendous amounts of rainfall are forecast over the next week from Salta and western Fermosa all the way southward through La Pampa and Rio Negro.
Widespread rainfall of 2-4 inches (50-100 mm) is expected with local amounts over 8 inches (200 mm).
Normal rainfall of 2-5 inches (50-125 mm) occurs during the entire month of March across this region meaning many areas will see a month's worth of precipitation within a few days.
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