21 September :Powerful Typhoon Dujuan is rapidly approaching Japan’s eastern coast, bringing torrential rain and strong winds to Tokyo and surrounding areas.
Japan’s weather authorities warned on Monday, 21 September, that conditions could deteriorate at any time, with the risk of flash floods and severe landslides.
More than 300 millimetres of rain has fallen since Saturday in coastal areas, including the Izu Islands. As a result, the highest-level landslide warning has been issued in the city of Oshima, located some distance from Tokyo.
The storm has severely disrupted normal life in affected areas. An equestrian event being held as part of the Asian Games in Aichi Prefecture has been postponed until Tuesday. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was also scheduled to travel to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, but her flight has reportedly been delayed by four hours because of the storm.
Meteorologists are warning that storm clouds could become concentrated over the same areas, producing prolonged and exceptionally heavy rainfall. If a so-called “linear rain band” develops, large areas could be inundated within a short period.
Japan’s latest weather emergency comes amid a year of severe droughts, torrential rainfall and devastating floods in different parts of the world, highlighting the growing scale of extreme weather events.
Source: Reuters.