Weather tracker: Philippines braced for landslides as fourth cyclone in three weeks hits

Meanwhile, unseasonable heat will continue across parts of Australia this week

The northern Philippines is experiencing its fourth tropical cyclone in three weeks. Typhoon Toraji, also known as Nika, is passing westwards over the island of Luzon, with winds equivalent to a category 1 hurricane. Toraji follows cyclones Trami, Kong-rey, and Yinxing, which combined left 159 people dead and more than 700,000 displaced. The ongoing recovery efforts are being frustrated by the repeated onslaughts of dangerous weather.

The Philippines is no stranger to cyclones, with about 20 hitting the nation each year, but it is unusual for the same region to experience so many in such a short space of time. The main concern for authorities is the sheer amount of rainfall in recent weeks, with torrential rain from Toraji falling on to soils that are saturated and waterways that are already full. About 2,500 villages have been evacuated, mainly due to the extreme risk of landslides, while dams are carrying out controlled releases of water in an effort to counteract flood risks.

The northern Philippines may need to brace for yet another cyclone later this week. A new tropical depression formed in the Philippine Sea on Saturday, and is expected to develop into a storm as it moves north-west, following a very similar path to that of Toraji. The Japan Meteorological Agency has already warned that this cyclone, which would be named Usagi, has the potential to reach typhoon intensity, with forecast models suggesting it could make landfall in the northern Philippines on Thursday or Friday.

Meanwhile, unrelenting heat will continue across part of Australia this week, with the Bureau of Meteorology issuing a heatwave warning across the Northern Territory, Central Queensland and parts of Western Australia. Temperatures are expected to widely peak in the low-40Cs through much of this week, this being 5-10C above the climate average for this time of year. Nights will offer little respite, with temperatures inland struggling to fall below 30C.

Other areas of Australia are expecting thunderstorms during the first few days of this week, with storms likely bringing high rainfall totals within a short period of time, strong winds, and a risk of hail. Areas particularly at risk will be eastern Queensland and New South Wales where storms have already brought high rainfall totals over the weekend with a station in the suburb of Brisbane recording 70mm within an hour on Sunday.

Cover photo: A woman outside her damaged home in Dilasag, Aurora province, the Philippines, on Monday after Typhoon Toraji hit the north-east coast. Photograph: Courtesy of Lie Anne Elacion Fabrigas/AFP/Getty Images