Japan’s weather agency has warned of torrential rain, violent winds and an increased risk of landslides as a powerful typhoon approaches the Pacific coast.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned that conditions could deteriorate rapidly as Typhoon Dujuan was forecast to pass close to the Tokyo metropolitan area later in the day.
Reports said Heavy rain has drenched the Izu Islands and parts of Japan’s Pacific coast, with some locations recording more than 300 mm (12 inches) of rainfall, prompting authorities to issue the highest level landslide emergency warning.
The JMA said downpours could intensify, as the typhoon nears the Kanto region, an area that includes Tokyo and surrounding prefectures.
At the Asian Games in central Japan’s Aichi Prefecture, organisers postponed the equestrian eventing competition until Tuesday due to the approaching typhoon.
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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s departure for New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly was delayed by four hours because of the storm, with the government saying she would now leave Tokyo at 11 p.m. JST (1500 GMT).
Authorities cautioned that linear rain bands could form over Kanto and central Japan, sharply raising the risk of flash floods and other rain-related disasters.
The Linear bands, which have become a growing concern in Japan in recent years, can dump extraordinary amounts of rain over a narrow area for several hours.
Typhoon Dujuan comes amid a year of extreme weather events around the world, with unusually intense rainfall, flooding and tropical cyclones affecting regions from East Asia to North America and Europe.
