Unseasonable Warmth Brings Near-23C Temperatures to New York and Boston
Temperatures in New York and Boston approached 23C (73.4F) in early November 2026, roughly 7 to 10C above what is expected for the time of year, according to The Guardian. The unusual heat reached into parts of eastern Canada, where temperatures passed 20C, about 10 to 15C above normal.
The warmth was driven by a low-pressure system over the US Midwest. A low is an area of relatively low air pressure, and its winds can pull air across large distances. In this case, the system carried warm air up from the Gulf of Mexico along its eastern side. The system was expected to drift east, which would allow temperatures to fall closer to average.
The same weather pattern brought storms to many parts of the United States. Severe thunderstorms prompted flood warnings and evacuation warnings across several states during the week. The US National Weather Service forecast a cold front along the East Coast that could bring heavy to excessive rain through Friday, along with gusty to damaging winds and a possible tornado. Along the Pacific Northwest and the northern California coast, a series of Pacific storms was forecast to continue through the middle of next week, bringing gusty winds, rain at lower elevations and snow in higher areas.
The storms also reached Election Day. The US midterm elections, which choose members of Congress, were held on November 3, 2026, after early voting had been underway for weeks, according to Reuters. Severe weather disrupted voting in several states, and The Guardian reported that the weather affected polling stations in Florida, Oklahoma and Colorado.
In Keyes, Oklahoma, a tornado touched down and damaged the Keyes Community Center complex on Phillips Avenue, the designated voting site for local precinct residents. According to ABC7 Amarillo, the tornado was rated EF1, the Enhanced Fujita scale's grading for tornado strength, with winds of 100 mph. The polling site was moved to City Hall after the storm damage.
Across the Atlantic, authorities in southern France, Corsica and Sardinia issued severe flood warnings as low pressure brought thunderstorms and torrential rain. Forecasts cited by The Guardian projected 50 to 100mm of rain over the coming days across the Mediterranean region, with localised totals above 100mm possible in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Occitanie and Corsica areas. In the parts of southern France and Corsica where the rain was expected to last longest, up to 70 to 80mm could fall within a single 24-hour period.
