Typhoon Khanun brings record rainfalls to Japan’s southwest, west
The Japan Metrological Agency warned of mudslides and floods as linear rain bands, which can bring torrential downpours, formed overnight over Shikoku and Kyushu islands, where some areas have received nearly 1,000 millimeters of rain since the beginning of the month.
The rain bands appeared early Thursday, spanning areas from southern Oita Prefecture to northern Miyazaki Prefecture as well as from Ehime to Kochi prefectures.
Towns and cities have been hit by record rainfalls, including Ino in Kochi Prefecture, which saw 332.5 mm in a six-hour period through 9 a.m. Thursday.
Two cities in Miyazaki have urged residents to secure their safety, including the town of Hinokage, which saw a record 703 mm of rain over the 72 hours through 9 a.m. Thursday.
Misato in the same prefecture had logged 980 mm since Aug. 1 as of 5 a.m. Thursday.
Winds have been strong in Kyushu, and at least three people were left injured in Nagasaki on Wednesday.
As of 9 a.m., Typhoon Khanun was moving northward in waters off Tsushima Island, located between Kyushu and the Korean Peninsula, at a speed of around 20 kilometers per hour with the agency expecting it to continue moving toward the peninsula.
With an atmospheric pressure of 980 hectopascals at its center, it was packing winds of up to 126 km per hour, according to the weather agency.
The agency forecast the typhoon would pack winds of up to 126 km per hour in Shikoku and Kyushu, with waves as high as 6 meters in northern Kyushu.
Rainfall of up to 250 mm is expected in Shikoku, and up to 150 mm in northern and southern Kyushu, over the 24 hours through 6 p.m. Friday.
