Cimaron slams into mainland Japan with flooding rain, damaging winds
After making landfall in western Japan, Severe Tropical Storm Cimaron is taking aim at northern Japan to end the week.
The storm made its first landfall in eastern Shikoku on Thursday evening, local time, with its strength equal to a Category 2 hurricane in the Atlantic or eastern Pacific basins.
Winds gusted to 175 km/h (108 mph) at Tomogashima on Okinoshima Island as Cimaron roared through.
This radar image shows Typhoon Cimaron moving into Shikoku on Thursday evening. (Image/AccuWeather)
Officials issued evacuation orders to 48,550 homes in Kobe City as the risk for flooding and mudslides increased, according to NHK. The orders have affected about 103,550 people.
Some of the areas that endured Cimaron's fury were devastated by the historic flooding in early July.
Three students from Shizuoka University are missing from a beach in the city of Shizuoka. Police fear the three were swept away by pounding waves stirred by the typhoon, according to the Japan Times.
Cimaron has curved to the northeast over the Sea of Japan and will bring a bout of wind-swept heavy rain to Hokkaido into early Saturday.
Flooding and mudslides will remain a concern as 75-150 mm (3-6 inches) of rain with an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 200 mm (8 inches) in the higher terrain sweeps across the southern part of the island.
The heaviest rain may remain south of Sapporo, but downpours can still create travel hazards by reducing visibility and heightening the risk of vehicles hydroplaning when traveling at highway speeds.
Gusty winds accompanying the heavy rain may also lead to tree damage and power outages across southern Hokkaido. Wind gusts should generally be on the order of 65-95 km/h (40-60 mph), though gusts to 110 km/h (70 mph) may whip the island's southwestern tip.
The rain and wind may also clip far northern Honshu.
Download the free AccuWeather app to stay aware of flood dangers.
During the weekend, Cimaron will race away from Hokkaido and Soulik may graze the northern part of the island with some rain.
Into Saturday, a couple of showers and thunderstorms will persist across parts of central Honshu and Shikoku hit hard by Cimaron. Any downpours can trigger new flooding problems.
Sunday is expected to be largely dry with very isolated thunderstorms.
AccuWeather meteorologists will be monitoring the potential for an increase in downpours next week.
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