Typhoon Jangmi threatens Japan as Europe swelters

Powerful winds and rain expected in parts of Japan and Australia, while temperatures in Spain could hit 40C

A powerful tropical storm is forecast to track near Okinawa, Japan , on Monday before moving towards the south-east of the country. Typhoon Jangmi (also known as Typhoon No 6) has formed within the monsoonal gyre over the Philippine Sea.

A monsoonal gyre is a large, slow-rotating weather system that spawns typhoons through smaller vortices formed within it. This flow can intensify storms. Such typhoons are typically characterised by broad areas of low pressure and extensive wind fields, often without a distinct eye.

Residents have been advised to take precautions, with strong winds and heavy rain expected early this week raising the risk of flooding, storm surges and landslides. By early Monday morning, the typhoon was moving at 10mph (16km/h), with sustained winds of 67mph, gusts of up to 100mph and a central pressure of 975hPa.

The Japan Meteorological Agency forecasts the pressure could fall to about 965hPa, with maximum winds increasing to 70mph and gusts reaching 110mph on Monday.

Similar conditions are expected across parts of southern Australia early this week as a 980hPa low-pressure system sweeps eastwards . The weather system, which brought severe storms to Western Australia last week, is forecast to hit densely populated parts of Victoria on Monday.

Gusts reaching 80mph have lashed the western coast and similar wind speeds are expected midweek in coastal areas of Victoria. Snow is also possible in Kosciuszko national park on Monday afternoon.

In contrast, the heat affecting southern Iberia is expected to persist as high pressure lingers over southern Europe . Although meteorological summer has only just begun, temperatures are likely to climb to the high 30Cs across a large swathe of southern Spain, with some regions soaring to 40C.

While such temperatures may not seem unusual for early June in Iberia, they are 5-10C above the long-term average.