Japan bracing for 2nd typhoon strike in as many weeks
In the wake of Khanun, AccuWeather meteorologists are tracking a new typhoon threat which is poised to bring another round of wind and rain to Japan -- this time, closer to the country's capital of Tokyo.
Typhoon Lan as seen on AccuWeather's Enhanced RealVue™ Satellite on Monday afternoon, local time. (AccuWeather)
It was less than two weeks ago that Japan's Okinawa prefecture was pounded by former Typhoon Khanun, which killed at least two people and left thousands without power before carving a deadly path through South Korea. Now, AccuWeather meteorologists are tracking the next typhoon threat, Lan, which is poised to bring another round of wind and rain to Japan -- this time, closer to the country's capital of Tokyo.
During Friday night, local time, Typhoon Lan swirled hundreds of miles south-southeast of Japan with wind intensity equivalent to a Category 3 major hurricane (maximum sustained winds of 111-129 mph, or 178-208 km/h) on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Now Lan continues to inch closer to Japan, with winds equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane (maximum sustained winds of 74-95 mph, or 119-153 km/h) as of Monday afternoon, local time, as the storm continues to track to the northwest.
Despite the loss in wind intensity, Lan is expected to remain a formidable storm by the time it makes landfall within in the next 24 hours.
"Lan is expected to eventually impact southern Honshu and Shikoku late Monday or Tuesday, local time. Heavy rain and strong wind gusts will spread northward across central and eastern Honshu from Monday through Wednesday, local time," AccuWeather Meteorologist Alyssa Glenny said. Honshu is the largest island in Japan and home to its capital, Tokyo.
Lan is expected to move inland between the Wakayama and Shizuoka prefectures, with high Confidence for damaging impacts close to the landfall point.
"Wind gusts of 80-100 mph (120-160 km/h) with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 160 mph (255 km/h) are possible along the coast nearest the track of Lan. Wind gusts to 60-80 mph (90-120 km/h) can impact southern Honshu and Shikoku with gusts to 40-60 mph (60-90 km/h) across the remainder of southern and central Honshu," Glenny said.
Such winds can result in structural damage, downed trees and power cuts. Train service and flights into and out of area airports are likely to face disruptions.
High waves sweep to the bank due to Typhoon Khanun in Yoanbaru, Okinawa Prefecture on Aug. 2nd, 2023. (Keiichiro Azuma / The Yomiuri Shimbun via Reuters Connect)
In terms of rainfall, amounts ranging from 8-12 inches (200-300 mm) with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 24 inches (600 mm) are forecast over far south-central Honshu. Rainfall of 4-8 inches (100-200 mm) is possible elsewhere across central Honshu and Shikoku.
"Widespread flooding and mudslides can occur with these rains," Glenny said.
Lan's exact path will ultimately determine to what extent the storm's rain and wind impact Tokyo. Latest indications point toward the capital city receiving at least some rain and wind later Monday into Tuesday, local time, with the worst conditions remaining to the west-southwest along the coast.
Due to the impacts of heavy rain and strong winds, Lan has been rated a 2 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Tropical Cyclones in Japan.
Elsewhere across the West Pacific Ocean, Glenny noted that Dora, which contributed to the deadly wildfire flareup in Maui, Hawaii, crossed the international date line from the central Pacific and entered the West Pacific basin early this weekend, becoming known as a typhoon before losing wind intensity and transitioning to a tropical storm.
This is only the second time that a cyclone with winds of at least 74 mph (120 km/h) crossed over from the eastern to central to western Pacific since the satellite era. Hurricane John in 1994 was the other storm that survived the journey from the eastern to western Pacific, and up until Cyclone Freddy in 2023 it held the record for the longest-tracking tropical cyclone in the world.
"In the longer range, there is the potential for new tropical development south of Japan later in the week. This feature may end up being weaker than Khanun and Lan due to these storms churning up the oceans and lowering water temperatures in the area," Glenny said.
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