Strongest tornado ever recorded in Japan hits Shizuoka prefecture

Devastating twister packs gusts of up to 168mph, injuring 89 people and leaving trail of destruction

Japan has experienced the strongest tornado in its recorded history after a devastating twister tore through Shizuoka prefecture.

Classified as a JEF3, level 3 out of 5 on Japan's tornado intensity scale, the tornado packed wind gusts of up to 168mph last Friday, injuring 89 people and leaving a trail of destruction. The hardest hit areas included Makinohara and Yoshida, where vehicles were overturned and more than 1,200 structures were damaged. Since records began in 1961, Japan has experienced 13 level 3 tornadoes, but none have reached level 4.