Spring floods into western Europe

Stormy weather has lashed southwestern Europe with damaging winds and flooding rains causing widespread disruption. Torrential downpours have brought flooding to parts of southern France that have killed at least 15 people. There are also 12 people still unaccounted for. Just a week ago the weather across much of western Europe was cool, dry and settled, thanks to a large area of high pressure which was keeping Atlantic weather systems at bay. However, during the last few days the high has drifted east allowing milder weather to move in from the west. As is usually the case at this time of year, milder weather also means wetter weather and this has certainly been the case on this occasion. Storms arrived here with a vengeance, initially moving across Portugal and Spain before spilling into the western side of the Mediterranean Sea. http://www.aljazeera.com/weather/2013/03/201338103127932580.html