TOKYO - Typhoon No. 26 was passing through the southern Izu Islands on October 1, disrupting ferry and air services around Hachijojima even as authorities reported no confirmed damage, while a newly formed Typhoon No. 27 was forecast to strengthen and potentially affect the Ogasawara Islands next week.
Rain had fallen intermittently around Hachijojima since the night of September 30, but conditions had temporarily settled by the morning, with no rain or significant wind reported.
A Level 3 landslide disaster alert was issued for Hachijojima at one point, but the municipal government said no damage had been confirmed as of 5 a.m. Residents were nevertheless urged to remain alert for landslides.
Transportation was affected, with the large passenger ferry Salvia Maru canceling its October 1 service returning to Tokyo from Hachijojima and other islands. All Nippon Airways also canceled two flights arriving at or departing from Hachijojima.
Typhoon No. 26 was near Aogashima in the southern Izu Islands at around 3 a.m. on October 1 and was moving northeast. Satellite imagery showed that its cloud structure had become increasingly disorganized as the storm weakened.
The typhoon was expected to pass over waters southeast of the Kanto region during October 1 before becoming an extratropical low east of Japan by around 3 a.m. on October 2.
Rain clouds associated with the system were still affecting parts of the eastern Kanto region during the morning. The rainfall was not coming directly from the typhoon's core but from weaker rain clouds spreading north of the storm.
Chiba Prefecture was expected to be among the areas most likely to see rain during the morning, although significant intensification was not anticipated. Conditions across Kanto were forecast to improve from around midday as the rain clouds moved farther east over the Pacific.
Rain across the Izu Islands was also expected to gradually ease, but high waves were forecast to continue through October 1, prompting warnings to avoid marine and coastal leisure activities.
The Japan Meteorological Agency announced that Typhoon No. 27 formed near the Mariana Islands at 3 a.m. on October 1. Satellite images showed a large and well-developed circulation associated with the new storm.
Typhoon No. 27 was initially moving generally westward but was forecast to gradually turn north while strengthening. It is expected to move over waters east of the Ogasawara Islands around October 6 to October 7.
The storm was forecast to develop into a strong typhoon, with maximum sustained winds reaching about 40 meters per second by 3 a.m. on October 6.
The Ogasawara Islands, including Chichijima and Hahajima, could therefore face strong winds and high waves from early next week.
Based on the expected position of the Pacific high-pressure system, Typhoon No. 27 was considered less likely to approach the main island of Honshu and was instead expected to move north over waters well to the east of Japan.
Authorities urged residents, particularly in the Ogasawara Islands, to closely monitor the latest typhoon forecasts as the system develops.
Source: ウェザーニュース
