Large parts of Asia have experienced severe rainfall this week, with Hong Kong, India, and Japan facing significant disruption. Hong Kong issued four black rainstorm warnings, the most in a single week, after more than 350mm of rain fell in 24 hours on 5 August—the highest daily August rainfall since 1884. This led to widespread road and flight disruptions.
In northern India, the mountainous state of Uttarakhand was hit by flash flooding and landslides after over 200mm of rain fell in a day. One person died and more than 50 remain missing, with rescue efforts hampered by continued heavy rain. Uttarakhand's mountainous terrain and steep valleys make it highly susceptible to such events, especially during the monsoon season.
Japan also experienced record-high rainfall in Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture, where 148mm fell within three hours. This was due to a low-pressure system bringing warm, moist air from the Sea of Japan, where sea temperatures were 3-5C above average. The rain disrupted bullet trains and closed roads, occurring outside Japan's normal rainy season.
Further heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast across Japan and South Korea this weekend and into next week. Meanwhile, south-west Europe is bracing for a heatwave, with Spain and France issuing warnings of temperatures above 40C, particularly in northern Spain and southern France, where temperatures may exceed the seasonal average by 12C.
