Over the next few days, heavy rain and strong winds will continue to affect parts of south-eastern Europe and Turkey, as a low-pressure system in the region has fuelled the development of intense thunderstorms.
This is reported by The Guardian.
On Tuesday in Antalya – a coastal city in south-west Turkey – a tornado formed during an especially intense thunderstorm, leaving four construction workers dead.
The authorities in Greece and Turkey have issued warnings of heavy downpours and flooding. This week, central Greece and western regions of Turkey are expected to see a further 100–150 mm of rainfall, and in some places totals could be even higher.
In addition, Cyclone Arnab has reached the coast of South Asia, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to the Indian states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
Because of the powerful storm, with wind gusts exceeding 140 km/h and rainfall totals topping 200 mm in some areas, more than 180,000 people have had to be evacuated. The extreme weather has also caused widespread disruption to energy and transport infrastructure. At least three people have been killed in the region.
In the coming days, as it moves further north, the cyclone will gradually weaken, but it will continue to bring heavy rain to parts of northern and central India.
On Wednesday, Typhoon In-fa, moving into the western Pacific, intensified into a super typhoon. Its sustained winds are reaching exceptionally high speeds of 240 km/h, with gusts exceeding 296 km/h.
It is expected that, moving north-west, the typhoon will bypass the island of Guam, which earlier this month was already hit by Typhoon Champi. At the same time, In-fa is forecast to affect the Mariana Islands – an archipelago that has already endured four super typhoons this year alone.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Vance, moving across the Pacific, has affected some areas of western Mexico. Although it recently weakened to a tropical depression, Vance brought heavy rain and hazardous coastal conditions, with 50–100 mm of rainfall recorded in the regions of Sinaloa, Durango and Nayarit, and local totals exceeding 150 mm in some areas.
The large volume of rainfall is expected to cause damage from flooding and landslides, while storm surge will lead to dangerous surf and rip currents along the coast.