🔗 Share this article

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

Immediate Impact on Hachijojima Island

Officials on Hachijojima Island noted interruptions and destruction to about 220 homes after the typhoon brought 37mm (1.5in) of rain in one hour and gusts of up to 95mph (152km/h). Airport operations were disrupted, infrastructure damaged, and heavy rainfall triggered landslides across the island chain. The storm also produced waves as high as 9 meters, creating dangerous coastal conditions. 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 cooler north Pacific waters, with gusts reducing to around 65mph as of Thursday. Moving along the air current, its remnants are on track to reach British Columbia, Canada, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and storm surges.

Recalling Halong's Fury

A week earlier, Halong had unleashed more than 200mm of rain in three hours, as maximum sustained winds reached 122mph. By the late morning of the previous Thursday, rainfall totals reached 349mm, breaking the daily rainfall record. The storm's leftovers then traveled over the northern Pacific and arrived in Alaska on Sunday, causing an unprecedented 2-meter coastal surge.

Significant Harm in Alaska

The seaside communities Kipnuk and Kwigillingok were the hardest hit. One person died, houses were ruined, and nearly 1,500 people had to evacuate to safe zones. The state underwent an historic mass evacuation by air to relocate affected individuals. Halong stands as among the strongest cyclones the region has experienced. Its quick strengthening was fuelled by unusually warm north Pacific waters, which provided extra heat and moisture.

Double Trouble in Mexico

Meanwhile, the country faced two consecutive hits last week as the leftovers of Priscilla and Raymond converged, dumping about 609mm of rain in four days across the central and eastern areas. Steered by a dip in the jet stream, the two weather events struck the same zone one after another. The first deluge from Priscilla made the soil waterlogged, worsening floods as Raymond approached. Over 300 localities were affected by landslides and overflowing rivers. As of Wednesday, 66 people have been confirmed dead and 75 individuals are still unaccounted for. Search and relief efforts persist, with stagnant floodwaters raising health concerns in isolated areas.