The beginning of last week saw 13,000 tourists left stranded in the Swiss resort of Zermatt, as two metres (6ft 6in) of snow reportedly fell in a 24-hour period across the Simplon region of Valais. The ski resort was cut off from the outside world for two days on Monday evening as mountain roads and train lines were blocked. Ski slopes, hiking paths and cable cars around the village were closed and the avalanche risk level was raised to maximum, the highest it has been for nearly 10 years.





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Meanwhile, in southern California, heavy rain triggered fatal mudslides last week, killing at least 17 people, with many more injured, missing or marooned. Homes were buried and wiped out and the US 101, an important West Coast highway, was temporarily closed. Nasa’s IMERG analysis revealed that more than 127mm (5in) fell across Ventura County between 8 and 10 January. The effect of the heavy rain was magnified because recent wildfires, notably the Thomas Fire, burned more than 113,000 hectares (280,000 acres) across Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, charring the soil and creating a repellent layer, thereby preventing the soil from efficiently absorbing water.





