In China, the remnants of Typhoon Haikui hit Hong Kong on Thursday, causing flooding and landslides. In less than an hour, more than 15 centimeters of rain fell in Hong Kong, an amount not seen since records began in 1884.
In Brazil, the death toll from hurricanes that caused flash floods in the country’s southern states rose to nearly 40. Across the Mediterranean, unprecedented storms killed at least 18 people and dumped a year’s worth of rain in some areas in less than 24 hours. In some areas of Greece, helicopters were used to rescue residents trapped on the roofs of their homes on Thursday.
In the Atlantic, Hurricane Lee rapidly intensified and became the first Category 5 hurricane this year, with sustained winds of up to 265 kilometers per hour. Forecasters predict that Hurricane Lee will continue to linger north of the Caribbean islands but could hit the east coast of the United States, Canada or Bermuda late next week.