typhoon makes landfall; Trip halted due to warnings issued

The eighth typhoon of the season made landfall on Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture around 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 13, bringing heavy rain and strong winds that disrupted rail and air travel, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The JMA warned residents of the Tokai region to beware of flooding, landslides and high winds as linear rain bands were also forecast.

Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways have canceled scheduled flights departing and arriving in Tokyo‘s Haneda Airport. Local train service in Chiba Prefecture was suspended from the afternoon, East Japan Railway Co. said.

JMA officials said at 3 p.m. the typhoon had a central pressure of 998 hectopascals, maximum sustained winds of 72 km/h near the center and maximum instantaneous gusts of 108 km/h.

It was expected to move in a northeasterly direction off the Tokai Coast and also sweep across the Kanto-Koshin region.

Torrential rains have been forecast for the Pacific coast of eastern Japan through August 14th.

The typhoon brought heavy rain to the region starting in the morning of August 13, with Aoi Ward in the city of Shizuoka registering 34.5 millimeters of rain in one hour and Omaezaki registering 33.5 millimeters.

For the 24-hour period ending 6 a.m. on August 14, up to 300mm of rain was forecast for Tokai, 250mm for Kanto-Koshin and 120mm for the Tohoku region and Izu island chain.

Precipitation tends to become even heavier as linear rain bands form.

The typhoon was also expected to make waves on the Pacific side of eastern Japan. Waves of up to 6 meters were forecast for the Kanto-Koshin and Tokai regions and the Izu Islands on August 13, and 3 meters for the Tohoku region.

Meteorologists forecast maximum instantaneous wind speeds of 108 km/h in the Tohoku, Kanto-Koshin and Tokai regions and on the Izu Islands.