Typhoon Dujuan was nearing Japan’s eastern coast on Monday, bringing dangerous weather to the Kanto region, the Izu Islands and the Tokai region. The storm, Japan’s 25th typhoon of the year, was forecast to pass close to the Tokyo metropolitan area later in the day.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued its level 5 emergency warning for the Izu Islands, the highest alert on its scale. The advisory warned of a “life-threatening situation” and told residents to “ensure safety immediately”. Almost two million people were under evacuation orders as the typhoon affected a number of prefectures.
Dujuan was packing winds of 144 kilometers (89 miles) per hour. Its arrival during a five-day holiday added to the disruption, as people travelled and public events were due to take place.
The meteorological agency said rainfall through Tuesday could exceed the average monthly rainfall for September, resulting in record-breaking heavy rain. Rainfall could reach up to 350mm in the Tokai region and up to 300mm in the Kanto region and the Izu Islands.
Authorities also warned that linear rain bands could form over central Japan and the Kanto region. Parts of the Izu Islands and Chiba prefecture near Tokyo had already experienced heavy rainfall over the weekend.
Two people had died and four others were missing as a result of the typhoon. The full extent of damage, the outcome for those missing and the wider effects on infrastructure remained unclear as the storm continued to affect eastern parts of the country.
The storm disrupted travel across affected areas. At least 260 domestic flights and 15 international flights had been cancelled on Sept 21, while rail services were suspended. Strong winds also caused power cuts for more than 50,000 people.
Public events scheduled for Monday were also affected. Concerts at the Rock in Japan music festival were cancelled. The Tokyo Game Show, a video game convention, also cancelled its Monday programme.
For authorities, the immediate concern was the prospect of further intense rain and strong winds, particularly in areas covered by evacuation orders. Dujuan’s eventual track, the duration of the transport suspensions and power cuts, and the final scale of the damage were still unknown.
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