The typhoon is on track to move northwest and make landfall near Tokyo on Wednesday night. Japanese weather agencies are warning of heavy rain, strong winds and high waves. Today, the storm was registered about 390 kilometres east-southeast of Hachijo Island and moving at a speed of about 20 kph north-northwest, according to the meteorological agency. Some airlines have begun cancelling flights, according to local news outlets.
Which airlines have cancelled? Japan Airlines has warned that fights to and from Tokyo Haneda and Tokyo Narita could be disrupted on Wednesday, August 8. Carrier All Nippon Airways Co has cancelled six flights scheduled for Wednesday between Tokyo’s Haneda airport and Hachijo Island. Jetstar Japan cancelled 19 flights across the country on Wednesday. If you’re due to travel, keep an eye on forecasts and get in touch with your airline for updates, as the situation is likely to change quickly. For now, the forecast shows the storm likely to hit on Wednesday afternoon.
Japan weather: Typhoon Shanshan's location at the time of writing
Rough seas and surf are already affecting the eastern coastline of Japan. Shanshan is expected to turn north as it approaches the coastline into eastern Honshu before turning northeastward and moving away from Japan later in the week. This track will bring significant impacts to the Japan mainland with the greatest risk for damaging winds and flooding rainfall across eastern and northern Honshu, including the Greater Tokyo Area. The worst and most widespread impacts to land will occur from Wednesday afternoon into Thursday. In the 24-hour period of the worst weather, 150 millimetres of rain may fall in eastern and central Japan, with a further downpour of up to 400 mm predicted in the following 24 hours. Locations farther north, including Sendai, may experience localised flooding and damaging winds as Shanshan tracks near or just off the coast of northern Honshu on Thursday.
Japan weather: This map shows the projected track of the typhoon
Japan weather: Typhoon Shanshan damage map
Japan is bracing for heavy rains and high winds on Wednesday as a strong typhoon is forecast to make landfall near the capital of Tokyo, the latest storm to hit Japan in recent months. The typhoon is expected to travel very close to Japan’s eastern and northeastern coastal areas from late Wednesday to Thursday around midday. Shanshan, a Chinese girl's name, is currently a Category 2 typhoon but is expected to weaken slightly as it moves closer to the eastern part of Japan's main island of Honshu. Torrential rain and thunderstorms could hit Tokyo and surrounding prefectures today.
The Japanese Meteorological Agency warned Tokyo and surrounding areas could get as much as 14 inches of rain in the 24 hours to noon on Thursday. Shanshan is expected to move extremely slowly, perhaps as slow as 15 kmh (9 mph), meaning intense rain may fall in one area for an extended period. Typhoon Shanshan is currently about 135 miles (220km) south-southeast of Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture. With gusts of up to 78 mph near its centre, Japan is expecting heavy downpours and strong winds.
Torrential rain and thunderstorms could hit Tokyo and surrounding prefectures today
Rough seas and surf are already affecting the eastern coastline. In a 24-hour period from Wednesday to Thursday noon, 13 inches of rain is expected in the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo. This twill bring significant impacts to the Japan mainland with the greatest risk for damaging winds and flooding rainfall across eastern and northern Honshu, including the Greater Tokyo Area. More than 40 flights have been cancelled to and from Tokyo’s Haneda airport and Narita airport near the capital due to the expected extreme weather.
The typhoon is expected to travel very close to Japan’s eastern and northeastern coastal areas
Natural disasters look set to keep hammering Japan, with risks of damage to buildings and lives. The storm will bring a number of hazards to a country still reeling from devastating flooding in July which claimed more than 200 lives. On Thursday, Typhoon Shanshan will move north along the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan. Northern locations including Sendai, may experience localised flooding and damaging winds as Shanshan tracks near or just off the coast of northern Honshu on Thursday. Shanshan is still classified as a typhoon, with the equivalent strength of a Category 1 hurricane in the Atlantic and East Pacific basins. Typhoon Shanshan is the 13th typhoon this year.
Tropical cyclones are common throughout the summer in Japan
Typhoon Shanshan, as of 9 p.m., Aug. 8. | KYODO
On this liveblog, The Japan Times newsroom will be updating the status of Typhoon Shanshan as it moves toward the Kanto region this evening and overnight. The effects of the storm are expected to peak this evening and into tomorrow morning, potentially making for difficult commutes.
Japan’s weather agency has warned of heavy rain, strong gusts of wind and high waves as a strong typhoon is expected to travel very close to the country’s eastern and northeastern coastal areas from late Wednesday to Thursday afternoon.
Typhoon Shanshan could linger longer than usual on the Japanese archipelago as it is slow moving — almost at the speed of a bicycle — which means more downpours for longer periods of time in affected areas.
The season’s 13th typhoon could make landfall early Thursday as it moves northward along the coastal areas of Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures, according to the Meteorological Agency.
The typhoon and an area of rain north of it are forecast to move northward along the Pacific coast, bringing heavy rain to Hokkaido on Thursday.
As of 9 p.m. Wednesday, the storm was about 120 kilometers southeast of Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture, and traveling north at a speed of 10 kph.
The typhoon was packing gusts of up to 126 kph near its center, with the areas within a radius of 70 km falling into a storm zone, according to the agency.
In the 24-hour period through Thursday evening, 300 mm of rain is expected in the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo, 200 mm in the northeastern region of Tohoku and 120 mm in the central region.
In Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, an 82-year-old woman was knocked over by the wind and broke her left leg. The municipal government of Mobara, Chiba Prefecture, issued an evacuation advisory to its residents Wednesday afternoon.
On Wednesday, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways Co. canceled a total of more than 90 flights to and from Tokyo’s Haneda airport and Narita airport near the capital.
East Japan Railway Co. reduced train services in the greater Tokyo area. Tobu railway suspended some express trains.
