Weatherwatch: Hurricane Kenneth's force short-lived

hurricane kenneth
This NOAA satellite image was taken on 21st November, but hurricane Kenneth's westward track kept it from making landfall. Photograph: Ho/AFP/Getty Images

A powerful hurricane developed in the eastern Pacific last week, attaining category 4 strength on Tuesday. Hurricane Kenneth was the strongest hurricane on record in the region to occur this late in the season with sustained winds of up to 145mph, but its westward track kept it from making landfall. Moreover, Kenneth's force was short-lived and the system lost its hurricane strength winds less than 24 hours after it reached its peak; by Friday it had become a remnant tropical depression.

Torrential rain across southern Italy and Sicily caused flooding and mudslides on Tuesday and Wednesday, killing three people. Transport was disrupted in the region with bridges being washed away by swollen rivers, causing the cancellation of some rail services. Some 131mm of rain was measured at Catanzaro in the Calabria region in just 12 hours up to 6am on Wednesday, similar to what would be expected for southern Italy for the whole of November.

In the US, a wintry storm brought heavy snow and freezing rain to New England on Wednesday, sparking power outages and delaying flights. Heavy snow brought down trees and power lines with around 17,000 people from Maine to New York state left without power by mid-afternoon. Some 29.2cm of snow fell at Ludlow, Virginia, causing severe disruption to commuters trying to make it home in time for Thanksgiving celebrations on one of the busiest commuting days of the year.