A person stands in flood water after heavy rain in New York on Wednesday, in this still image obtained from social media video. Photograph: Amun Zemi/Reuters
Weather tracker: flash floods in New York and a heat dome in Europe
Rain overwhelms sewer system in parts of US city, while temperatures in France break May record
New York City saw flash flooding on Wednesday, as large parts of Brooklyn and Queens received about 2 inches (50mm) of rainfall in as little as 20 minutes. Officials said the deluge caused water to flow into the sewer system at a rate of up to 6 inches an hour, quickly overwhelming an aged network that was designed to accommodate just 1.75 inches per hour.
Residents and commuters found themselves wading knee-deep through flood water that flowed with dangerous speed in places. One video showed a woman alighting from a bus losing her footing and being dragged along by the torrent of water. Several major roads were blocked, including the Long Island Expressway, and subway services were disrupted as water spilled into stations. Large amounts of mud and other debris were left behind; videos showed bags of rubbish being swept down streets along with loose litter.
The downpours were part of a series of storms affecting New Jersey and New York states, with strong gusts also causing damage and disruption. Several trees and power lines were brought down, and at one point on Wednesday night more than 10,000 people were without power.
Meanwhile, western Europe is sweltering under a heat dome – warm air trapped under a strong area of persistent high pressure. The first major heat event of 2026 has come unusually early: temperatures in May rarely rise above 30°C as far north as the UK, France and Germany, large parts of which are experiencing temperatures 10-15°C above the climate average.
Monday and Tuesday will be the peak of the heatwave in some ways, with temperatures most widely above average at this time, before the worst of the heat becomes more confined to France and Iberia later this week.
France has already broken its May record of 30.5°C, as temperatures have peaked in the low 30s each day since Thursday, and higher is still to come. Temperatures more than 10°C above average are expected in places until the weekend and parts of the south-west could reach 37-38°C.
Spain and Portugal have not threatened their May records (44.4°C and 40.0°C respectively) and are unlikely to do so, but they will have the most prolonged hot spell. Across the end of May and first part of June, temperatures will remain widely 5-10°C above average across Iberia. Temperatures have peaked in the high 30s each day since Thursday and are forecast to continue doing so.
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