Japanese Archipelago Hit by Two Successive Tropical Storms
The Izu archipelago have faced yet another severe impact as tropical cyclone Nakri moved across the region on Monday, following in the footsteps of Typhoon Halong, which hit seven days prior.
Initial Consequences on Hachijojima Island
Officials on Hachijojima Island reported disruption and damage to about 220 homes after the typhoon brought an hour of rainfall totaling 37mm and gusts of up to 95mph (152km/h). Flight services were interrupted, infrastructure damaged, and heavy rainfall triggered landslides across the island chain. The typhoon also generated 9-metre waves, leading to hazardous shoreline situations. Off the Pacific coast in Oiso, in Kanagawa prefecture, three men were swept away while fishing, with one fatality reported.
The Evolution of Nakri
The storm has since shifted into an non-tropical storm system, losing strength while traveling east over chilled northern Pacific seas, with gusts reducing to around 65mph as of Thursday. Moving along the air current, its remaining parts are headed to reach British Columbia, Canada, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and storm surges.
Recalling Halong's Fury
A week earlier, Halong had unleashed over 200mm of precipitation within three hours, as maximum sustained winds reached 122mph. By the late morning of the previous Thursday, precipitation levels climbed to 349mm, breaking the daily rainfall record. The typhoon’s remnants then traveled over the northern Pacific and reached Alaska on Sunday, bringing a record-breaking 2-metre storm surge.
Alaska's Severe Damage
The coastal villages of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok were the hardest hit. One person died, houses were ruined, and nearly 1,500 people had to evacuate to safe zones. Alaska experienced an historic mass evacuation by air to evacuate displaced residents. Halong remains among the strongest cyclones the area has ever seen. Its rapid intensification was driven by abnormally hot northern Pacific seas, which provided extra heat and moisture.
Double Trouble in Mexico
At the same time, the nation endured a double blow last week as the remnants of Hurricane Priscilla and Tropical Storm Raymond converged, dumping about 609mm of rain in four days across central and eastern regions. Guided by a trough in the air current, the two weather events struck the same zone one after another. The first deluge from Priscilla left the ground saturated, intensifying flooding when Raymond arrived. More than 300 communities were affected by landslides and overflowing rivers. As of Wednesday, 66 people have been confirmed dead and 75 remain missing. Rescue and recovery operations are continuing, with standing water causing health worries in remote zones.
