China’s central meteorological observatory has issued its first highest red typhoon alert of the year. The tropical system brought sustained winds of 95 mph, the threat of up to 200 inches of rainfall and waves of more than five feet. Both of Shanghai’s international airports were forced to cancel all inbound flights and 7,400 ships sought refuge in ports in Zhejiang province. The storm is expected to move north along China’s east coast in the coming days. Despite well into meteorological autumn, the summer-like heat refuses to relinquish its grip on parts of Europe. France once again bore the brunt, with southwestern regions widely reaching 30C, 15C above normal. France recorded its hottest day of September on September 12, with 40.7 degrees Celsius in Bégaar, Nouvelle-Aquitaine. This heatwave follows an exceptionally hot summer, France’s second warmest on record. That has extended an already devastating fire season in the region, with seven firefighters injured this week and more than 3,600 acres (8,896 hectares) burned in the Saumos region. This has also resulted in the evacuation of around 1,000 people in recent days. Local authorities said the fire was under control on Thursday. Meanwhile, the slow awakening of the Atlantic hurricane season has continued in recent days, with Tropical Storm Fiona named on Wednesday. This storm began life as a loosely organized area of storms (known as a tropical wave) on September 12 in the central Atlantic, and has since strengthened and moved slowly westward. This storm brought sustained winds of 50 mph, with little strengthening expected over the next few days, with the Leeward Islands likely to be affected later Friday. About 3 to 6 inches of rain is expected to affect the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico through the weekend.
