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The Izu Islands have faced yet another severe impact as Typhoon Nakri moved across the region on Monday, following in the footsteps of storm Halong, which hit seven days prior.

Initial Consequences on the Island of Hachijojima

Officials on Hachijojima Island reported disruption and damage to about 220 homes after the storm brought an hour of rainfall totaling 37mm and wind bursts reaching 95mph. Flight services were interrupted, 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, one of whom has been confirmed dead.

The Evolution of Nakri

The storm has since shifted into an non-tropical storm system, weakening as it moved eastwards over cooler north Pacific waters, with gusts reducing to around 65mph as of Thursday. Riding the jet stream, its remaining parts are headed to reach the Canadian province of British Columbia, delivering intense precipitation, powerful gusts, and coastal flooding.

Recalling Halong's Fury

A week earlier, Halong had unleashed more than 200mm of rain in three hours, as peak wind speeds hit 122mph. By the late morning of the previous Thursday, rainfall totals reached 349mm, breaking the daily rainfall record. The typhoon’s remnants 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 most affected. A single fatality occurred, houses were ruined, and nearly 1,500 people had to evacuate to safe zones. The state underwent one of the largest airlifts in its history to evacuate displaced residents. Halong remains among the strongest cyclones the region has experienced. Its quick strengthening was driven by abnormally hot northern Pacific seas, which supplied additional warmth and humidity.

Twin Disasters in Mexico

At the same time, the country 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 the central and eastern areas. 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, worsening floods as Raymond approached. Over 300 localities were affected by landslides and overflowing rivers. As of Wednesday, 66 fatalities were verified and 75 remain missing. Search and relief efforts persist, with standing water causing health worries in remote zones.