Typhoon Trami to make landfall in western Japan; Kansai airport closes temporarily

Typhoon Trami is expected to make landfall around the Kii Peninsula in the western Japan prefecture of Wakayama on the evening of Sept. 30.

The large and very powerful storm has left at least 23 people injured and more than 233,000 households without power in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa.

The forecasted path of Typhoon Trami is shown as of 9 a.m. on Sept. 30, 2018. (Image from the Japan Meteorological Agency website)

Kansai International Airport in Osaka Prefecture closed its runways from 11 a.m. on Sept. 30 as the typhoon approaches the facility, which was flooded in early September by another storm, airport officials said. The runways are expected to be reopened on 6 a.m. on Oct. 1

The 24^th typhoon of this year is forecast to bring storms, heavy rain and high waves to extensive parts of the country on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1."It is one of the strongest typhoons we have faced. Please stay inside to avoid high winds," said Yasushi Kajihara, who heads the forecast pision at the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

Storm surges are forecast to hit coastal areas along the typhoon's route, including the bays of Osaka, Ise and Mikawa in western and central Japan.

As of 9 a.m. on Sept 30, the typhoon was near Tanegashima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture and was moving northeast at 45 kilometers per hour. Its center had an atmospheric pressure of 950 hectopascals and it was packing winds of up to 45 meters per second (162 kph), with maximum gusts of 60 m/s (216 kph).

The typhoon was coming very close to the southern part of Kyushu in southern Japan in the morning of Sept. 30 and was dumping torrential rain in the area.

The typhoon is expected to retain all its force as it approaches western Japan, and will likely make landfall around the Kii Peninsula in Wakayama Prefecture on the evening of Sept. 30. It is then forecast to speed up and likely traverse eastern and northern Japan.

Over Sept. 30 to Oct. 1, the typhoon is expected to hit the Amami Islands, southern Kyushu, Shikoku and the Kinki regions in southwestern and western Japan with strong winds of up to 45 m/s (162 kph), with maximum gusts hitting 60 m/s (216 kph). Trami will also likely bring strong winds of up to 40 m/s (144 kph) to the Tokai region in central Japan, and 35 m/s (126 kph) to northern Kyushu in southern Japan and the Kanto-Koshin region in eastern Japan, including Tokyo. The Tohoku and Hokuriku region in northern Japan is expected to face winds of 30 m/s (108 kph) and the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido with winds of 25 m/s (90 kph).

Precipitation over the 24-hour period ending 6 a.m. on Oct. 1 is estimated at up to 500 millimeters in Shikoku and Tokai, 450 millimeters in Kinki, 400 millimeters in Kanto-Koshin, 350 millimeters in northern and southern Kyushu, and 250 millimeters in the Chugoku and Hokuriku regions of western and northern Japan.

The JMA has underscored the need to be prepared for disruption of transportation services, power blackouts, and agricultural damage due to the strong winds, heavy rain and high waves.

Some municipalities in Osaka Prefecture, including the city of Osaka, have set up evacuation centers for residents.

The typhoon has already disrupted transportation services in southern Japan including Okinawa Prefecture. All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL) cancelled more than 400 flights to and from Okinawa Prefecture and Kagoshima as well as other areas of southern Japan, affecting over 38,000 passengers.

Both airline groups cancelled all flights to and from Naha, Ishigaki and Miyako airports in Okinawa Prefecture. These airports remain closed on Sept. 29. Services on the Okinawa Urban Monorail line between Naha Airport and Shuri were suspended throughout the day.

Many flights in other areas are also being affected by the typhoon.

West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) plans to suspend all services on the Shin-Osaka-Hiroshima section of the Sanyo Shinkansen Line on Sept. 30 after the westbound Nozomi No. 103 superexpress arrives at Hiroshima at 12:50 p.m. and all commuter trains in the Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe areas by noon, according to its website. The number of train operated on the Hiroshima-Hakata section on the bullet train line will be reduced on Sept. 30. Almost all of services on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line are also being suspended throughout Sept. 30, according to Central Japan Railway Co.

The disaster is affecting theme parks as well. Legoland Japan in Nagoya and Universal Studios Japan in Osaka are closed on Sept. 30./.

VNF/Mainichi