Summer may be the rainy season, but hail like this is freaky even for Japan.
A phrase you’re not likely to run into in Japanese textbooks, but which you’ll definitely hear people say in Japan, is gerira gou. Literally translating as “guerrilla downpour,” the term describes powerful but brief rainstorms that occur with little warning, as though Mother Nature herself is employing guerrilla warfare tactics.
After an unusually dry June and first half of July this year, the guerrilla rains came to Tokyo in particularly violent fashion on July 18, when the capital was suddenly pounded by gigantic pieces of hail, some measuring more than five centimeters (two inches) in length.
https://twitter.com/0326_misato/status/887207475606306816 https://twitter.com/1004KI8/status/887199129394335744And if you think those gargantuan chunks of ice look scary in still photos, wait until you see them actually falling from the sky.
カミナリゴロゴロのゲリラ豪雨、雹が半端なかったです!
— アタゴ空調設備株式会社 (@ATAGOofficial) July 18, 2017
東京の方は、引き続きご注意ください。
本当に危険です!避難してください。 pic.twitter.com/RWWZykNF6U
池袋に雹降って来た
— 雹で頭が凹んだ男 (@hyouuramu) July 18, 2017
当たったら死ぬやつですわこれ#雹#池袋 pic.twitter.com/l12DDDoPaV
In the downtown area, the Ikebukuro neighborhood was hit especially hard. Making things worse were incredibly strong gusts of wind, powerful enough to blow wheeled signboards down the street and partially flood the platform of the JR Yamanote Line.
▼ The wind was also strong enough to turn whoever shot this video into a cackling supervillain/lord of a vampire manor.
https://twitter.com/gaimonn/status/887195648834940929 https://twitter.com/hanayolove41/status/887193143459762177#ゲリラ豪雨
— 木沢かしぃ@武蔵国審神者 (@FvKiy) July 18, 2017
池袋なう
雹が降ってるヤベェ pic.twitter.com/zsFc8PNAtz
And while Tokyoites could keep dry by staying indoors, many no doubt found themselves wondering if their windows were strong enough to withstand a direct hit from one of the giant hailstones.
ゲリラ豪雨イン巣鴨 pic.twitter.com/UfS5RsSVf4
— ゆうと@Hi-standard (@yuto580313) July 18, 2017
▼ This have been a good time for this Family Mart branch to disable it’s automatic door.
駒込ヤバかった pic.twitter.com/dAl8ZD7XWk
— ミル神@MWAM/MHW@カミ (@milgami29) July 18, 2017
Even once the rain stopped, there was plenty of slush left on the sidewalks.
https://twitter.com/jzy321451/status/887197483083767808 https://twitter.com/Hanayo_pad/status/887193337614159872▼ This Twitter user even noticed a number of busted street lamps, which appear to have shattered from the impact of falling hail or other debris.
雹のせいだろか田端ふれあい橋の電灯がいくつか破壊されていた pic.twitter.com/m4VVunfUpr
— 田上 勇🫚🇯🇵日本保守党:党員番号162294 (@salondeQ) July 18, 2017
Thankfully, no injuries were reported in association with the downpour, and by the time evening rolled around…
https://twitter.com/VFK7zoatuypalyC/status/887250107149697024ゲリラ豪雨の後の静けさ。 pic.twitter.com/RW0vHz2o5l
— くましゃん (@yu_spica) July 18, 2017
…the guerrilla rain clouds were giving way to the onset of a beautiful, peaceful sunset.
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