Tokyo, August 15, 2023 – Japanese authorities have issued flood and landslide warnings as a powerful tropical storm, identified as Tropical Storm Lan, slammed into the nation’s main island early Tuesday. Despite being downgraded from a typhoon, Lan unleashed violent gusts and heavy downpours, causing rivers to swell and prompting concerns of flooding and landslides.
Even in its diminished state, Lan roared in from the Pacific, targeting the key urban hubs of Osaka and Kobe. Packing winds of up to 144 km/h (90 mph) along with torrential rainfall and high waves, the storm made landfall on the main island of Honshu shortly before 5am local time near Wakayama prefecture, approximately 600 kilometers (375 miles) west of Tokyo.
The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of potentially significant rainfall accumulation, indicating that some areas could witness as much as 35 centimeters of rain within the 24-hour period leading up to Wednesday morning.
“The typhoon’s speed is slow and the duration of its impact in (central and western regions) could become extended. The total rainfall (in some areas) may exceed the average monthly rainfall in August,” the agency communicated via Twitter.
In light of the impending threat, the agency issued a stern advisory, cautioning residents to remain vigilant against landslides, surging water in low-lying zones, swollen and flooded rivers, and fierce winds. As of Tuesday morning, over 50,000 households across seven regions had already lost power, according to local utility reports cited by AFP.
Debris scattered by the storm temporarily halted local commuter trains, leading to the suspension of flights and express trains as a precautionary measure. With safety as a priority, local governments instructed more than 180,000 residents, particularly in Wakayama, Kyoto, and the historic city of Nara, to consider non-compulsory evacuation.
The meteorological system was projected to linger over the region throughout Tuesday before shifting toward the Sea of Japan. The nation’s residents and authorities remain on high alert as they contend with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Lan’s fury.
