TOKYO - Tokyo recorded rain for a 34th consecutive day on September 29, setting a new all-time record for the capital, but the prolonged wet spell could finally end after Typhoon No. 26 passes the Izu Islands between the night of September 30 and the morning of October 1.
Rain is expected again in Tokyo on September 30, which would extend the record to 35 consecutive days. The key to ending the unusually long autumn rains is Typhoon No. 26, which is forecast to continue moving northeast and approach Hachijojima and other parts of the Izu Islands from the night of September 30 through the morning of October 1.
The typhoon is relatively compact, meaning rain and winds could strengthen rapidly as it approaches. After passing the islands, it is expected to accelerate over waters east of Japan and transition into an extratropical cyclone.
Southern parts of the Izu Islands should remain alert for high waves accompanied by swells from the night of September 30 through the morning of October 1. Strong winds and lightning are also possible, while rain clouds associated with the typhoon itself could bring more than 100 millimeters of rainfall.
The autumn rain front lying north of the typhoon will continue to affect the Kanto region on September 30, making further rain likely in Tokyo and surrounding areas. Rain is also expected in parts of the Tokai region.
Forecasts show rain stretching from Kanto toward the Kii Peninsula during the morning, with wet conditions continuing across Kanto into the afternoon. Rain could remain over southern Kanto until late at night. By October 1, the northern edge of the typhoon's cloud system could also reach parts of Kanto.
Elsewhere, much of Japan will be covered by an autumn high-pressure system, bringing sunshine and blue skies.
Forecast high temperatures for September 30 are 22 degrees Celsius in Sapporo, 21 in Kushiro, 24 in Aomori and Morioka, 24 in Sendai, 25 in Niigata, 27 in Nagano, 26 in Kanazawa, 25 in Nagoya, 20 in Tokyo, 27 in Osaka, 28 in Okayama and Hiroshima, 26 in Matsue, 29 in Kochi and Fukuoka, 31 in Kagoshima and 30 in Naha.
Tokyo will remain unusually cool, with the daytime high expected to reach only 20 degrees. Morning temperatures in many areas are forecast to be around 3 degrees lower than on September 29. Western Japan, however, will remain considerably warmer, with temperatures approaching 30 degrees or higher in parts of Shikoku, Kyushu and Okinawa.
The typhoon is expected to merge gradually with the autumn rain front as it moves northeast. As the storm pulls away from Japan, it should carry the front eastward with it, allowing the record-setting stretch of autumn rain to finally come to an end.
Sunshine is expected to become increasingly widespread in Tokyo from Friday, October 2, with clearer autumn weather continuing into the weekend. Nagoya and other parts of eastern Japan on the Pacific side are also expected to see increasing sunshine from October 1.
Western Japan is forecast to enjoy mostly clear autumn weather through Saturday, October 3, before cloudier and wetter conditions return from Sunday into Monday.
In northern Japan, Sapporo could see heavier rain as a front passes between October 1 and October 2.
After more than a month of almost uninterrupted rainfall in Tokyo, forecasts indicate that the capital may finally enter a more settled period of clear autumn weather once Typhoon No. 26 and the autumn rain front move away.
Source: TBS
