Japan's Archipelago Struck by Back-to-Back Typhoons

The Izu Islands have faced yet another severe impact as Typhoon Nakri swept through the region on Monday, following in the footsteps of Typhoon Halong, which hit a week earlier.

Initial Consequences on the Island of Hachijojima

Officials on Hachijojima Island reported disruption and damage to about 220 homes after the storm brought 37mm (1.5in) of rain in one hour and wind bursts reaching 95mph. Flight services were interrupted, public facilities harmed, and heavy rainfall triggered landslides across the group of islands. The storm also generated 9-metre waves, leading to hazardous shoreline situations. Off the Pacific coast in Oiso, in the Kanagawa region, three fishermen were carried off by waves, with one fatality reported.

The Evolution of Nakri

The storm has since shifted into an non-tropical storm system, weakening as it moved eastwards over chilled northern Pacific seas, with wind speeds dropping to about 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.

Remembering Halong's Impact

A week earlier, Halong discharged over 200mm of precipitation within three hours, as peak wind speeds hit 122mph. By the late morning of the previous Thursday, precipitation levels climbed to 349mm, breaking the daily rainfall record. The storm's leftovers then traveled over the northern Pacific and arrived in 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. A single fatality occurred, houses were ruined, and about 1,500 residents were forced into shelters. Alaska experienced one of the largest airlifts in its history to evacuate displaced residents. Halong stands as among the strongest cyclones the area has ever seen. Its quick strengthening was fuelled by abnormally hot northern Pacific seas, which supplied additional warmth and humidity.

Twin Disasters in Mexico

Meanwhile, the nation faced two consecutive hits last week as the leftovers of Priscilla and 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 made the soil waterlogged, intensifying flooding when Raymond arrived. Over 300 localities were impacted by mudslides and river overflows. By Wednesday, 66 fatalities were verified and 75 individuals are still unaccounted for. Rescue and recovery operations are continuing, with standing water causing health worries in remote zones.