When the Familiar World Collapses: Summary of the Week

Friends, today we want to be completely honest with you…

Watch this climate overview for the past week, from May 28 to June 3, 2025, and you’ll understand the real reason why we’re creating these reports.

Germany

On May 31, a powerful thunderstorm with heavy rain and hail hit North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The city of Hückelhoven was particularly affected, where a sudden storm disrupted a carnival festival.

Some festival attendees criticized the organizers for their slow reaction to the approaching storm, but the organizers denied the claims. One of them explained that in over 20 years in the industry, he had never experienced such sudden and destructive weather.

Switzerland

On May 28, a massive glacier collapse occurred in the canton of Valais. About three million cubic meters of rocks and ice from the Bärsch glacier fell into the Lötschental valley. The village of Blatten was nearly destroyed, and the surviving homes were flooded by the Lonza River after a massive rock blocked its flow.

Tragically, a farm owner went missing, presumed to have been in the barn with his animals at the time of the collapse.

Egypt

On May 31, a violent storm hit Alexandria, the main port city in northern Egypt. Winds up to 60 km/h, thunderstorms, and intense hail caused chaos in the streets.

Due to the squall and hail hitting windows directly, café-goers were forced to flee. Storms of this magnitude are unprecedented on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast at this time of year.

Nigeria

From the night of May 29 to 30, heavy rains led to a devastating flood in Mokwa, Nigeria — one of the most destructive in the past 60 years. Over 200 people died, and around 1,000 residents are reported missing.

The National Emergency Management Agency called it an “unprecedented flood.” Most alarming is that this isn’t even the peak of the rainy season.

Canada

One of the most severe wildfire seasons in recent years has struck Canada.

Three provinces have undergone large-scale evacuations. More than 26,000 people were forced to leave their homes.

Smoke from the fires drastically reduced air quality not only in Canada but also in several U.S. states. North Dakota, Minnesota, and Montana reported “unhealthy” air. A large smoke plume crossed the Atlantic and reached Europe on June 1.

USA

On May 30, a tornado of at least EF2 intensity suddenly hit Washington County, Kentucky. Severe storms — let alone tornadoes — were not forecasted for that day, and the warning came only minutes before impact.

One person died and seven were injured due to the tornado.

On the evening of May 28, a powerful supercell storm hit Austin, the capital of Texas, causing widespread destruction.

On June 1, a violent storm struck the densely populated Dallas–Fort Worth area in North Texas, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, and hail up to 7 cm in diameter.

Tornadoes

On May 28, a tornado in Artik, Armenia, ripped roofs off houses and uprooted trees — a rare event for the Shirak region.

On May 29, residents of Kalo Chorio in Larnaca District, Cyprus, witnessed a rare tornado that caused damage to property.

That same day in Gazipaşa, Antalya Province, Türkiye, a waterspout formed at sea and quickly moved inland, destroying around 70 greenhouses, ripping off roofs, and toppling trees and power lines.

On May 30, a giant tornado appeared over Chernihiv, Ukraine. Fortunately, it did not touch down, so no damage occurred.

It is alarming that tornadoes are now appearing in the northern parts of the country, where such conditions were previously almost nonexistent.

Overall, Europe is seeing an exponential increase in tornado activity, and 2024 set a record for the number of tornadoes in the region since records began.