KYUSHU - Heavy rain is expected across a wide area of Japan this weekend, with western Japan facing cloudy and rainy conditions on June 19 and Kyushu likely to see torrential rain and thunderstorms before rain clouds move eastward toward eastern Japan and Tohoku through June 21.
Western Japan is expected to remain cloudy or rainy on June 19 due to its proximity to the seasonal rain front. Kyushu, in particular, could see extremely heavy rain of more than 50 millimeters per hour, accompanied by thunderstorms.
Rain is also expected at night in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions. From the evening, sudden thunderstorms are possible in mountainous areas from northern Kanto to Hokkaido.
Temperatures are forecast to rise above 30 degrees Celsius in areas with sunny spells, including Kinki, Tokai, Hokuriku and Kanto-Koshin. Central Tokyo is expected to record a midsummer day for the first time in 18 days, with a forecast high of 30 degrees Celsius. Humid conditions are expected across many areas, and people are urged to take precautions against heatstroke.
Forecast highs for June 19 are 26 degrees Celsius in Sapporo, 20 in Kushiro, 23 in Aomori, 28 in Morioka, 26 in Sendai, 27 in Niigata, 30 in Nagano, 30 in Kanazawa, 30 in Tokyo, 33 in Nagoya, 32 in Osaka, 30 in Okayama, 30 in Hiroshima, 30 in Matsue, 29 in Kochi, 29 in Fukuoka, 28 in Kagoshima and 30 in Naha.
A low-pressure system is expected to gradually form along the seasonal rain front and pass near Japan from June 20 to June 21. Rain is likely to become steady in the Kanto region around late morning on June 20, with heavy downpours expected at night mainly in Kinki, Tokai, Hokuriku and Kanto-Koshin.
Rainfall could intensify in Kanto-Koshin, Hokuriku and southern Tohoku through the morning of June 21. During the daytime, rain is also likely to strengthen in Hokuriku and southern Tohoku. Around this time, the rainy season is expected to be announced for Hokuriku and Tohoku.
The seasonal rain front is expected to remain near Honshu from June 21 onward, bringing continued cloudy and rainy weather. Okinawa is likely to see more sunny days, suggesting that an announcement of the end of the rainy season may be approaching.
A tropical depression over waters south of Japan is expected to develop into Typhoon No. 7 within 24 hours. If it becomes a typhoon, it will be named Typhoon No. 7.
The system is forecast to continue strengthening while moving northwest to west-northwest through next week. By early next week, it is expected to become a strong typhoon with a storm zone.
The storm could approach waters south of the Sakishima Islands, and from the middle of next week onward there is a risk it could move near Okinawa while maintaining a storm zone. However, the forecast circle for Tuesday and Wednesday and beyond is extremely large, with a diameter of 880 kilometers, indicating considerable uncertainty over the storm’s path.
The forecast for next week could change significantly depending on the typhoon’s track. Forecast confidence is expected to improve as the system moves farther west, and authorities are urging people to check the latest weather information.
Source: TBS
