Turkey has been hit by powerful thunderstorms and a fatal tornado this week with more heavy rain expected
Heavy rain and strong winds will continue to affect parts of south-eastern Europe and Turkey over the next few days, as an area of low pressure in the region has allowed for the formation of powerful thunderstorms. During a particularly intense thunderstorm in Antalya, a coastal city in the south-west of Turkey, the formation of a tornado resulted in the deaths of four construction workers on Tuesday. Authorities in Greece and Turkey have released severe rainfall and flooding warnings, as a further 100-150mm (nearly 4-6in) of rain is expected this week in central Greece and western parts of Turkey, with locally higher totals possible.
Travelling eastwards towards south Asia, strong winds and heavy rainfall have swept across the Indian regions of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh as Cyclone Arnab made landfall. With wind gusts in excess of 85mph (140km/h) and rainfall totals in some regions exceeding 200mm, the severe storm has prompted mass evacuations of more than 180,000 people, as well as widespread disruption to energy and transport infrastructure. The cyclone will weaken as it continues to traverse northwards over the coming days, though will continue to deliver heavy rain to parts of northern and central India as it does so.
Heading towards the western Pacific Ocean, Typhoon In-fa was upgraded on Wednesday to super typhoon status, with exceptionally strong sustained wind speeds of 150mph (240km/h), with winds gusting over 185mph (296km/h). Travelling north-westwards, it is expected to avoid Guam, which was hammered by Typhoon Champi earlier this month. However, In-fa is expected to affect the Mariana Islands, which have already been battered by four super typhoons this year alone.
Meanwhile, across the Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Vance has been affecting parts of western Mexico. Though it has recently weakened to a tropical depression, Vance brought heavy rain and dangerous coastal conditions, with the regions of Sinaloa, Durango and Nayarit recording 50-100mm of rain, with some areas locally exceeding 150mm. The high rainfall totals are expected to cause disruption due to flooding and landslides, with the storm swell resulting in dangerous surf and rip current conditions off the coast.
