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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They ban people in cane season like nobodys business
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
617 PM EDT MON MAY 7 2012
FLZ059-064-072315-
MARTIN-ST. LUCIE-
617 PM EDT MON MAY 7 2012
...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR STRONG WIND GUSTS
BETWEEN 45 AND 55 MPH AND SMALL HAIL OVER MARTIN COUNTY...
SOUTHEASTERN ST. LUCIE COUNTY...
* UNTIL 715 PM EDT.
AT 612 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG WINDS AND SMALL HAIL 5 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF PALM CITY...DRIFTING SLOWLY TO THE NORTHEAST AROUND 5
MPH.
LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM WHICH MAY EXPERIENCE STRONG WINDS
AND SMALL HAIL INCLUDE NORTH RIVER SHORES...PORT SALERNO AND ROCKY
POINT.
ADDITIONAL STORMS WILL FORM AS MULTIPLE BOUNDARIES COLLIDE AND
INTERACT WITH ONE ANOTHER.
THE PRIMARY THREATS WILL BE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING
STRIKES...SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH...WHICH CAN
CAUSE UNSECURED OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND...SNAP TREE LIMBS OR CAUSE
POWER OUTAGES. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL TEMPORARILY REDUCE VISIBILITY.
SEEK SHELTER INDOORS UNTIL THE STORM PASSES.
MOTORISTS SHOULD SLOW DOWN IN HEAVY RAINFALL TO REDUCE THE RISK OF
HYDROPLANING AND LEAVE SAFE DISTANCE BETWEEN OTHER VEHICLES.
LAT...LON 2696 8062 2713 8057 2716 8052 2728 8037
2728 8023 2726 8022 2728 8022 2728 8020
2721 8015 2716 8015 2703 8009 2697 8008
2697 8014 2695 8017
TIME...MOT...LOC 2214Z 225DEG 5KT 2713 8033
$$
GUSEMAN
To start off I'm confused...
I do feel there is a conflict between religion and science. I know this isn't a philosophy message board but I was just commenting on what was being discussed at the moment I happened to be on here. Meteorology and climatology are disciplines of science and depend on the scientific method for validation. I don't wish to cause a riot on here. If anyone would like to debate just message me. You all seem like smart people and I find this stuff interesting!
reminds me of "Vava" from the mega man series and nothing else. =P
I see what you did there!
I see none at all...neither does the Vatican...
That's some yard! Looks more like the 100 acre woods. Love it!
A POTENT UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING A GOOD CHANCE OF RAIN TO THE REGION THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. AT THIS THE TIME...THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER HAZARD WILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN.
BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!!!
The first part of his name tells you all you need to know about him. :)
thats just nasty! lol jkin
hahahah...Wow two in one day impressive WxGeekVA.
It's pretty obvious...
The NHC released the re-analysis of the 1930 to 1935 Ataltnic seasons. The famous 1933 season (21 storms) now only had 20 storms after some revisions...
Only news interesting in the Atlantic tropics today...
" I'll be bach"...LOL..
I like it. Wish we could get some of these Generic ones filled up.
That has to be Bastardi lol
Are you try to blind us all. rotflmao
Tribucanes at comment 151..
All facts of observation support the concept of the original creation of distinct kids of organisms, each with a genetic ability to develop into many different varieties but never into a new kind.Lifted word for word from a book, The Honest Truth by Howard Eugene Wright.
I don't begrudge you your beliefs. I hope you understand when I say I believe it is wrong not to credit the true authors of the words you post here. Even if you paraphrase them, it is best to credit their thoughts. Unless, of course, you are they.
Bus. ted.
"In 2012, NHC will be working behind the scenes on potential enhancements to products and services. These planned in-house (non-public) experiments include extending tropical cyclone track and intensity forecasts out to seven days from the current five-day period, extending tropical cyclone formation forecasts out to five days from the current 48 hours, creation of track and intensity forecasts for disturbances with a high chance of formation, and the issuances of tropical cyclone warnings prior to the formation of a cyclone."
The last one may spark drama on the blog ;)
[paraphasing]
"Space, the Final Frontier... ::needle-across-record Scratch-screech:: "
"What do you mean, 'final frontier'? If it's the final frontier, what's it in front of? Tell me that, why don't you."
-- Terry Pratchett's version of Godel's Incompleteness Theorem
Of course, it could turn out that the Universe is completely trivial.
Hahaha...I've lurked around enough to know who that is. I vote none of the above.
very interesting...can't wait
It looks like some of you are getting off-topic. Maybe some of you are unaware, but Dr. Masters' blog is subject to stricter standards than other blogs in our community.
Members who do not adhere to these guidelines will be subject to a ban from participation in the blogs. Please review our Community Standards and Rules Of the Road.
You can also find general blog support information here.
I hope that this information will help us all enjoy Weather Underground and our blogging community to the fullest!
Thank You!
RE-ANALYSIS OF 1931 TO 1935 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASONS COMPLETED
A complete re-analysis of the Atlantic hurricane database (HURDAT) was conducted for the 1931 to 1935 seasons. All 58 existing tropical storms and hurricanes were revised in their tracks and maximum winds.
15 new tropical storms were discovered and added into HURDAT, while four existing systems were removed. This era also recorded one of the busiest hurricane seasons (1933) on record with 20 tropical storms observed, 11 of which became hurricanes. Originally, HURDAT listed 21 tropical storms for that year, 10 of which were hurricanes. In the reanalysis of 1933, two new tropical storms were discovered, two existing cyclones were removed from the database as they did not reach tropical storm intensity, and two existing storms were found to be one continuous system.
Thanks for stopping this madness!
Woah! That a surprise I'm thinking that this may cause a prolonged neutral event
A lot of people post off-topic and they still don't do anything.
That is very interesting as the uptick has been solid because it was around the -8 area.
I guess they are cracking down now. No more Rick Astley videos :(
It was just a question. I hadn't read the previous posts when I
asked it. I just wanted to know where you were coming from with
the question.
There was no disrespect intended
What I want to know is why they removed my post.
Could be, but lets wait and see
You all heard the man/woman! Back on topic to all of this exciting.....weather.... Ummm.... Yeah....
WunderBlogAdmin i wish you ues this on JFV the next time he bypass a bannd of yours
Troll Wipe - This is the most extreme action an Admin can take, and it is reserved for flagrant, repetitive violations of the Terms of Service. This will remove the user completely, making it impossible for them to access that member handle again.
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