Typhoon Chan-hom made landfall in Ibaraki Prefecture on the night of August 11, crossing central Honshu from east to west, including the Tokyo metropolitan area. This marks the first time a typhoon has made landfall in Ibaraki since records began in 1951. The typhoon is expected to weaken into a tropical depression as it moves into the Sea of Japan on the morning of August 12.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, Chan-hom made landfall in southern Ibaraki around 8 p.m. on August 11. After making landfall, it passed through Tsuchiura City in Ibaraki, Kashiwa City in Chiba, Tokorozawa City in Saitama, and Otsuki City in Yamanashi, traversing the Kanto and Koshin regions, which include Tokyo and the surrounding areas. By 6 a.m. on August 12, it had moved near Tsuruga City in Fukui Prefecture. The central pressure was 996 hPa, with maximum sustained winds of 18 m/s and gusts up to 25 m/s, moving west at 40 km/h.
Typically, typhoons approaching Japan move northward from the southern seas or northeastward, but Chan-hom took an unusual path from the east to the west. The Japan Meteorological Agency explained that a high-pressure system located to the north of Japan blocked the typhoon's northward movement, causing it to shift westward. Kazuhisa Tsuboki, a typhoon mechanism expert at Nagoya University and Yokohama National University, told NHK, "Winds and rain may behave differently than usual due to the east-to-west movement. During Typhoon No. 12 in 2018, significant damage occurred north of the typhoon, and there is a possibility of strong winds and heavy rain causing damage again in the vicinity of 100 km north of the typhoon's center this time as well."
The typhoon is expected to pass through the Tokai and Hokuriku regions of central Japan on August 12 before exiting into the Sea of Japan, where it is forecasted to weaken into a tropical depression. If it follows the current predicted path, it is unlikely to approach the Korean Peninsula directly as it weakens in the Sea of Japan.
However, heavy rain is expected to continue even after the typhoon passes. The warm, moist air surrounding the typhoon combined with cold air aloft is creating unstable atmospheric conditions. According to NHK, the maximum expected rainfall over 24 hours until the morning of August 13 is 150 mm in northeastern Tohoku and the Tokai and Kinki regions, including Osaka and Kyoto, and 120 mm in the Kanto and Koshin regions. The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned of the risk of landslides, flooding in low-lying areas, and river overflows. In fact, a level 4 flood risk warning was issued for the Zenpukuji River flowing through the Suginami and Nakano wards of Tokyo on the night of August 11. Japan's warning system is divided into five levels, with higher numbers indicating greater risk. Level 4 indicates that evacuation orders may be issued.
The timing of the typhoon coincides with the spring tide, when the difference between high and low tides is greatest, which could lead to coastal lowlands being inundated. The meteorological agency has urged caution against storm surges in eastern Japan on August 12 and in western Japan on August 13. A level 4 storm surge warning has been issued for some areas in Hyogo Prefecture.
Damage has already been reported. On the night of August 11, maximum wind gusts of 29.3 m/s were recorded in Kitaibaraki City, Ibaraki Prefecture, and 28.6 m/s in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture. As of 6 a.m. on August 12, four people had been injured due to strong winds—three in Ibaraki and one in Tochigi, all with minor injuries. Power outages affected up to 21,500 households on the night of August 11. As of 6 a.m. on August 12, approximately 7,660 households in six prefectures, including Ibaraki, were still without power. In Mito City, Ibaraki, strong winds blew off a building's roof, damaging parked cars, while a 7-meter-long tree was uprooted near Omotesando Station in Tokyo. In Tochigi, a fallen tree struck a train on the JR Utsunomiya Line, halting service on the Utsunomiya Line and Shonan-Shinjuku Line for about three hours, but no passengers or crew were injured.
On August 11, numerous flights were also canceled. All Nippon Airways (ANA) canceled 59 flights to and from Haneda and Narita airports, affecting about 11,000 passengers, while Japan Airlines (JAL) canceled eight flights. This week coincides with Japan's Obon holiday, a time when many people travel home. The Japan Meteorological Agency has advised caution regarding potential disruptions to transportation services due to continued strong winds and heavy rain on August 12.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.