Rare Japanese tornado kills 1, injures 48
A rare strong tornado ripped through Ibaraki Prefecture in eastern Japan 30 miles northeast of Tokyo on Sunday, killing a teenage boy, injuring 48 people, and damaging or destroying 890 buildings. The tornado carved a path of destruction 15 km long and 500 meters wide, said the Japan Meteorological Agency. The tornado was given a preliminary rating of F-2, with winds of 113 - 157 mph (Japan uses the traditional "F" scale to rate tornadoes, not the "EF" scale used in the U.S.) The tornado also damaged homes in a housing complex in Tsukuba where 20 people from seven families from Fukushima Prefecture had evacuated following the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, caused by the earthquake and tsunami of March 2011. I bet those families are feeling disaster-prone!
Video 1. A rare tornado in Japan hits approximately 30 miles northeast of Tokyo on May 6, 2012.
Japan's tornado climatology
Tornadoes are rare in Japan, due to the fact the nation is surrounded by ocean, which tends to stabilize the air. Between 1961 - 2010, an average of 15 tornadoes per year hit Japan, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Only four F-3 tornadoes have hit Japan. The most recent F-3 hit on November 7, 2006, in the Wakasa area of Saroma, Hokkaido. Nine people died and 26 were injured. Over 30 buildings, including a dwelling, warehouses and temporary structures were damaged or destroyed. No violent F-4 or F-5 tornadoes have been recorded in Japan, according the Japan Meteorological Agency, though other sources list a December, 1990 tornado as having been an F-4. Wunderground's weather historian Christopher C. Burt has more details in his latest post, Deadliest Tornadoes. Only one F-2 tornado hit Japan in both 2010 and 2011. A 1997 study published in the Journal of Climate found that Japanese tornadoes occurred most frequently in September and least frequently in March, and that typhoons were responsible for about 20% of all the tornadoes. A list of Asian tornado outbreaks maintained at Wikipedia lists the deadliest Japanese tornado as one on 6 September, 1881, which killed 16 people.
Figure 1. Distribution of tornadoes in Japan, 1961 - 2010. Image credit: Japan Meteorological Agency.
Jeff Masters
Reader Comments
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Active early and then taporing off as we had into el nino
History shows that years we transition into El-nino tend to have early season TS formation.
Nah, I think it would be of tropical origins. Sea Surface Temperatures are definitely warm enough to support a tropical system.
The 06Z GFS showed tropical development in the East Pacific but the 12Z just shows an area of low pressure.
Really, cause my kids are still in school?
Thanks much TAwx13
Let me nip this now and this is it with you as this is no place for this non-sense. I am not Jeff as you state and if you have a problem then e-mail me.
Really? Maybe it is just our district then.
Caught red handed!!
yeah thats what Im thinking..New Hanover County had a full day
The movement towards El Nino usually supports an early start, but becoming less active than normal during the peak of the season. In general, this year should be below the post-1995 normal for Atlantic activity.
It would be funny if thats where he lives
Nah, TAwx13 is legit. I wish my school (WAAAAAAAY back in the day) allowed us out on half days for election day.
(for those interested, Google is awesome)
Nope, I live in the county north.
Anyways, I'll be glad when it pours down rain tomorrow. It's too warm.
Hahahahahah YeA I didnt question cody's legitamacy, I wish i got a day off also, but no im just sick!
Where do you live?
.
Whats the temp?
Here its not so much the heat its the humidity, the dewpoint is 72!!
78F with a dewpoint of 55F.
Hey pedley. What's up?
CMC
My apologies, i dont remember the names of counties only parishes
it would be like you tying to remember tangipahoa parish or terrebonne parish, maybe even, vermilion parish:)
Not much, was going bust on bad spelling but I caught myself (kind of)..
How are you this fine (so far) day. Weather good there?
Wanna Trade?!?!?!
Soi is going back up...
(as of yesterday)
As it should. The SOI goes through rises and falls, and that is completely normal. The next time we go back down, it should end up lower than the value it was at before it started going back up yesterday.
Up --> Down --> Farther Down --> Up --> Down --> Up --> Farther Down
Yeah, i'm good. It's currently partly cloudy with no present treat of rain.
I see
Are you related to Jamaicans? "no problem Rasta" is something that you usually hear from Jamaicans
No, I think NEFL is actually of the species Trollicus Weblogus. This species is known for creating strife on blogs, and is closely related to Trollicus Forumi, and Trollicus Pranksterus. In short, they think its funny to cause grief, when it really isn't (to most).
They can be effectively exterminated with a quick spray of Troll-B-Gon or Troll-Away (available at a choice retailer near you). Alternatively, specially trained individuals can permanently eliminate them with judicious use of the Banhammer (please note, the Banhammer is only to be used by well-trained indviduals).
hes not too trolly.
He is just argumenticus fightiae
L
O
L
Yeah, maybe...it's not looking bad at the moment
Hey, a Blob is a Blob....
Well the Sea breeze is exploding along the coast in the form of a line!
it wont move much tho
That is very true. I am starting to wonder if the big mass of rain west of Houston will make it here before breaking apart into scattered light rain. There is plenty of sunshine left so we will just have to see
rule of thumb, ifthe sun stays out past three its almost garunteed
About 10-20 knots according to the GFS. Not bad for an early season tropical cyclone.
That's really low for this early
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