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Flood waters brought by Hurricane Delta surround structures already destroyed by Hurricane Laura in Creole, Louisiana.
Flood waters brought by Hurricane Delta surround structures already destroyed by Hurricane Laura in Creole, Louisiana. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images
Flood waters brought by Hurricane Delta surround structures already destroyed by Hurricane Laura in Creole, Louisiana. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Record number of hurricanes make landfall in US in 2020

This article is more than 3 years old

Storm from Hurricane Delta strikes Louisiana only six weeks after destruction wrought by Laura

The US has seen a record number of hurricanes make landfall this year; Hurricane Delta, a category 4 hurricane at one stage, was the most recent storm to strike land. Delta made an initial landfall in the north of Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula, before turning north and striking Louisiana on 9 October. The storm took an identical track to Hurricane Laura only six weeks earlier, which had already severely damaged many buildings in its path.

Meanwhile, much of South America has experienced a severe heatwave over recent weeks. Heat records have been set in Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina; Brazil and Argentina both set national heat records for September, with 44.1C and 43.5C respectively. Brazil then set a new October monthly heat record the next day, while the heatwave has caused water shortages and blackouts across parts of Paraguay.

In south-east Asia, there has been severe flooding across parts of Vietnam and Cambodia, with over a month’s worth of rain falling in the first 10 days of October. Tens of thousands of people have been forced to evacuate, with rainfall accumulations of 300-400mm in one day being recorded in a few places. With the arrival of the north-east monsoon, further extremely heavy rainfall is expected over the next few weeks.

More on this story

More on this story

  • Hurricane Iota: at least six killed and 60,000 evacuated in Nicaragua

  • Devastating 2020 Atlantic hurricane season breaks all records

  • Slow-moving Storm Eta lashes northern Nicaragua

  • 2020 likely to be one of warmest years on record despite La Niña

  • Unusually active hurricane season could threaten US effort to fight Covid-19

  • Miami Covid testing site suffers major damage as Eta dumps heavy rain

  • Tropical storm Eta makes landfall in Florida after leaving dozens dead and missing

  • Woman in Guatemalan village hit by Storm Eta loses 22 members of her family

  • Storm Eta death toll nears 150 after devastating mudslides

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