B. Typhoon, hurricanes and cyclones are all tropical storms with very high winds. They simply have different names based on where they are located. All of them are formed by low pressure centers traveling over warm sea surfaces where they gather up moisture and gain wind speed.

Q: The weekend typhoon was downgraded to a tropical storm after losing wind speed over land. But officials warned people to evacuate areas hit by the previous flooding on Japan’s largest island. Japan’s 6,852 islands make up what?

A. Archipelago

B. Bight

C. Continental shelf

D. Delta

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A. An archipelago is sometimes called an island chain or island group. Japan’s volcanic islands  lie off the eastern coast of the Asian mainland and stretch from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and China in the southwest.

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Q: Japanese meteorologists warn that the nation can expect more rain and higher temperatures over the next 100 years as the world’s climate heats up. Japan recorded its highest temperature in history,106 degrees. Where else have record highs been set this summer?

A. Algeria

B. Canada

C. Finland

D. All of the above

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D. Ouargla, Algeria, hit 124 degrees on July 5, probably a record for all of Africa. Montreal, Canada hit a record 98 degrees in a heatwave that killed as many as 70 people. And, Sodankyla, Finland, 59 miles north of the Arctic circle, hit 90 degrees.

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Q: While warming oceans are sending heavy rains to some parts of the world, record heat is drying out other areas. Wildfires rage in the western United States, and at least 85 people died in wildfires near Greece’s capital . . .

A. Athens

B. Beirut

C. Cartagena

D. Damietta

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A. Fanned by strong winds the wildfire devastated resort areas near Athens and drove many to seek refuge from the flames by wading into the Mediterranean Sea. Coastal patrol boats and private vessels picked up hundreds of who managed to reach harbors or beaches.

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