Typhoons

Spare a thought for the poor folk in eastern China, who are being walloped by one typhoon [hurricane] after another this summer. After the flooding and devastation by Bilis, Kaemi and Prapiroon they can now look forward to Saomai slamming into the coast near Shanghai with windspeeds of about 125 mph, followed by Bopha to the east of Hong Kong. The island of Honshu in Japan can pencil Maria into its diary for later this week, although this is not a system with strong winds; there will be loads of rain though.

Looks like the Atlantic's frantic hurricane season in 2005 is now enacting itself in the west Pacific.