Weather tracker: Thunderstorms hit Spain as Japan braces for typhoon

Intense and slaw-movin thunder-storms brak oot on Wadensday efternune across pairts o eastern Spain, bringin some severe floodin and killin at least ae person.

Storms first strak ower the Castilla-La Mancha region durin the efternune afore passin ower Spain's east coast, becomin vera slaw-movin and continuin owernicht. Torrential rainfaw, strang winds and muckle hail wur reportit in Valencia and Barcelona, causin widespread floodin in baith ceeties. Weather stations wast o Barcelona recordit some o the heichest totals wi mair nor 100mm o rain fawin in the space o a few oors, and locally 70mm in juist 30 meenits in the early oors o Thuirsday mornin. Caurs and roads wur submerged, and flichts wur cancelled across the region.

Wadensday's La Liga fixture atween Levante and Athletic Club hid tae be postpond due tae floodin at the Estadio Ciudad de Valencia. On Thuirsday rescuers fund the body o a man near Olivella, wast o Barcelona, efter his caur wis sweepit awa in the watter. Spain's east coast is gey susceptible tae extreme rainfaw durin the hairst months, as experiencit in 2024, whan devastatin flash fludes killit mair nor 200 fowk in Valencia. Wi the Mediterranean Sea reachin record temperatures, this is providin extra fuel and moisture tae thunder-storms, makin floodin mair likely.

In New Jersey in the US on Sunday, the Racefaster hauf marathon wis disruptit due tae extreme rainfaw and a pairtly submerged coorse. Runners hid tae wade throu chest-deep watters at times as 50mm tae 100mm o rain fell. Despite the floodin, 250 fowk managit tae finish the race. Floodin wis also reportit tae the north-east in Connecticut and Rhode Island, whaur up tae 190mm o rain wis recordit in a 36-oor period.

Tropical Storm Dujuan, currently ower the open wast Pacific Ocean, wull muve north-wast on a track towarts Japan ower the comin days. It is forecast tae intensify intae a category ane typhoon on Friday. The joint typhoon warnin centre is forecastin that Dujuan wull skirt past the sooth-east coast o Japan, potentially affectin Tokyo and the surroundin areas.