The dramatic weather is making the Rugby World Cup even more unpredictable

Foreign journalists can be a bit skittish when faced with unusual threats, but the rhetoric around Typhoon Hagibis is startling

England are due to face France in Yokohama this weekend (Getty)

Just when you thought the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals were taking shape, Mother Nature intervenes.

What should be a thrilling climax to the pool stage in Japan is now under genuine threat from what is forecast to be the most powerful typhoon of the year. It is the third major storm to target to Japan since the world’s media descended on the country last month, and Typhoon Hagibis – described as a “super typhoon” – is already “among the most explosive rapid intensifications of any tropical cyclone on record anywhere on Earth”.

There are a lot of words in that statement, provided by the US Joint Typhoon Warning Centre, that fill you with fear. But it’s fair to note that the last two to hit Japan, Typhoon Faxai and Typhoon Mitag, transpired to have no impact on the tournament and caused only brief disruption to a country experienced at handling such events.