The short version
- Hurricane Lowell caused widespread power outages and damage across Hawaii's western islands, marking a significant event in an above-normal storm season driven by El Niño conditions.
- Heavy rainfall associated with a tropical depression in Japan led to severe flooding, subway disruptions, and landslides, including debris covering vehicles near Mount Fuji.
- Violent thunderstorms fueled by warm Mediterranean waters brought torrential rain and flash flooding to Italy, Austria, and the Balkans before drier conditions are expected to return.
Hurricane Lowell struck Hawaii’s western islands with significant force this week, causing widespread damage and infrastructure disruptions. On Tuesday night, the storm’s center passed approximately fifty miles from Ni‘ihau, maintaining category two status with sustained winds reaching up to one hundred ten miles per hour. The intense wind speeds resulted in extensive power outages across Ni‘ihau, Kauaʻi, and O‘ahu, leaving many residents without electricity during the peak of the storm’s impact.
The event drew particular attention due to a tornado watch issued for Kauaʻi on Monday night and into Tuesday morning. Research maps from Iowa State University indicated this was likely the first such warning in Hawaii’s recorded history. Although no tornado was officially documented during the event, meteorologists note that hurricanes frequently spawn tornadoes within their rain bands, often away from the storm’s center. The absence of a confirmed tornado does not diminish the severity of the wind damage reported across the affected islands.
This storm is part of a broader trend in the central Pacific, where five named storms have occurred so far this year. The National Weather Service has identified strong El Niño conditions as a primary driver behind this above-normal hurricane activity. These climatic factors have created an environment conducive to more frequent and intense tropical systems, raising concerns about future storm impacts on Pacific island communities.
Meanwhile, severe weather conditions in Japan have caused significant disruption due to heavy rainfall. A stationary front combined with a moist air mass linked to tropical depression Krovanh created extremely unstable atmospheric conditions. In Nagoya, record-breaking rainfall of 104.5 millimeters fell within a single hour on Tuesday afternoon. This deluge led to flooding of roads and subway stations, forcing the suspension of services including the main Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train line.
The instability in Japan also triggered landslides across the country. A level-two advisory for landslide risk remained in place through Friday. One notable incident occurred on Wednesday near a main starting point for Mount Fuji hikes, where debris covered three vehicles. Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities were reported in connection with this specific landslide or the broader flooding events in Japan at that time.
In Europe, large parts of central and southern regions experienced violent thunderstorms following a shift in atmospheric patterns. Cooler air moved southeast across the continent, displacing the warm air mass that had fueled a late-season heatwave in southern Europe. By Wednesday, this cold front reached the Mediterranean Sea, creating ideal conditions for severe weather.
The interaction between cool air moving over unusually warm Mediterranean waters generated an unstable atmosphere rich in moisture. This dynamic produced large thunderstorms over areas surrounding Corsica, Sardinia, and northern Italy on Wednesday and Thursday. These storms delivered torrential rainfall, flash flooding, strong winds, and a few tornadoes. At one weather station in Veneto, 154.2 millimeters of rain were recorded in just three and a half hours.
The storm systems pushed northeast into Austria and the Balkans late on Thursday, with some activity forecast to continue into Friday. However, meteorological models suggest this wet weather pattern will not persist through the weekend. Drier and sunnier conditions are expected to develop by the start of the following week, offering relief to regions that have endured days of intense precipitation and flooding risks.
These simultaneous weather events highlight the complex and interconnected nature of global atmospheric systems. While Hurricane Lowell impacts Hawaii under El Niño influence, separate mechanisms drive extreme rainfall in Japan and Europe. The varying impacts—from power outages in the Pacific to transportation disruptions in Asia and flash flooding in Europe—underscore the diverse challenges posed by severe weather across different geographic regions.
Sources behind this briefing
Go to the original reporting
- The Guardian World↗Weather tracker: Hurricane Lowell pounds Hawaii’s western islands
