Weather tracker: flash floods in New York and a heat dome in Europe

New York City saw flash flooding on Wednesday, as large parts of Brooklyn and Queens received about 2in (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 6in an hour, quickly overwhelming an aged network that was designed to accommodate just 1.75in an 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 was 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 30C as far north as the UK , France and Germany, large parts of which are experiencing temperatures 10-15C above the climate average. …