Weather tracker: More extreme rain in Japan and a tornado in France

<p>Flash flooding and mudslides in Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures, while convective storms hit western Europe</p><p>After an “unprecedented” deluge <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/16/torrential-rain-and-flood-kill-nine-in-japan-amid-wettest-month-in-decades">in Chiba</a> in mid-August, Japan has experienced further extreme rainfall in recent days. Moisture from the Sea of Japan brought relentless heavy rain to the prefectures of Ishikawa and Toyama on Thursday.</p><p>In Himi, Toyama, 361.5mm of rain fell in 24 hours, equivalent to half the average annual rainfall in London and Paris. Several rivers burst their banks, triggering flash floods and mudslides, felling and damaging buildings.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/28/weather-tracker-extreme-rain-japan-tornado-france">Continue reading...</a>