Typhoon Faxai rapidly intensified in the Pacific ocean south of Japan to U.S. category 3 with sustained winds of over 115mph and has already broken wind and rainfall records on the peninsula southwest of Tokyo. Now Faxai is entering Tokyo bay with a dangerous storm surge which will likely combine with flooding caused by heavy rains to cause massive flooding in the low lying areas around Tokyo bay. Tokyo is going to start Monday morning with a high risk of landslides on mountain slopes, flash flooding and severe coastal flooding.
Thirty eight million people live in the greater Tokyo metro area so this typhoon will affect many lives.
Tokyo radar at 5:50am local time shows Faxai’s rain bands over the Tokyo metro area.
(Please note that Japan uses a longer period of sustained winds in their hurricane categories. The wind speeds appear lower in Japanese reports.) www3.nhk.or.jp/…
The Japan Meteorological Agency says it is "urging people to be vigilant because of concerns the typhoon could become a record-breaking storm. Strong winds and heavy rainfall could wreak havoc on the Tokyo metropolitan region."
www.straitstimes.com/...
TOKYO (AFP, REUTERS) - A strong typhoon that could bring "historic" winds and rain was poised to make a direct hit on Tokyo later on Sunday (Sept 8), as authorities warned of high waves, landslides and flooding.
Typhoon Faxai, packing winds of up to 216km per hour, is forecast to reach coastal areas near Tokyo in the late hours of Sunday into Monday morning, Japan's meteorological agency said.
"Please be on full alert against gusts and high waves and be vigilant about landslides, floods and swollen rivers," the agency said in a statement.
Meteorological agency official Naoji Nakamura told reporters that the typhoon could bring “record” winds and rains.
Japan has always had heavy rains and typhoons but the oceans are taking up 93% of the heating caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gases. This excessive ocean heat is causing the rapid intensification of tropical storms such as Faxai, Dorian and Maria. This rapid intensification is making the intensity of hurricanes and typhoons very difficult to predict as well as making the most intense storms more destructive and dangerous. Note, that as severe as Faxai is now, the people of Japan got lucky when the storm passed over a cool ocean eddy before striking Japan. It had intensified to category 4 in red on the figure below before weakening to a category 3 at landfall south of Tokyo.