Japan has experienced further extreme rainfall in recent days, with heavy rain affecting the prefectures of Ishikawa and Toyama on Thursday. In Himi, Toyama, 361.5mm of rain fell within 24 hours, which is equivalent to half the average annual rainfall in London and Paris.
These downpours caused several rivers to burst their banks, resulting in flash floods and mudslides that felled trees and damaged buildings. Earlier in the week, Japan’s Meteorological Agency issued its highest-level rain warning and landslide warnings for the two prefectures, leading to the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of residents.
Models on Thursday indicated a potential for a further 200mm of rain just south of this region. Two days prior, Typhoon Saudel passed through Kagoshima and Okinawa Island prefectures, bringing 100mph (160km/h) winds and extreme rainfall, including 230mm in a day in the Amami region.
In western Europe, severe convective storms have struck in recent days, particularly around Alpine regions. These storms have brought intense rain, strong winds, large hail, and tornadoes. Catalonia reported hailstones as large as 10cm in diameter, and a significant tornado developed in Pomas, south-west France.