Japan Severe Weather from Typhoon Dolphin Cuts Power to Thousands in Okinawa
Japan severe weather from Typhoon Dolphin struck the islands of Okinawa and Amami on Saturday, cutting power to at least 44,000 buildings in some reports and to 14,000 buildings in others while injuring five elderly people and forcing widespread flight cancellations before the storm headed toward landfall on China’s eastern coast. [1] [3]
Impact on Okinawa and Amami Islands
The islands of Amami and Okinawa were the parts of Japan most affected by the typhoon. [1] Five elderly people suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to the Okinawan prefectural government, with three of them falling because of the strong winds. [1] [3] Japan’s national broadcaster NHK reported numerous accounts of trees being toppled by strong winds throughout Nago city in Okinawa, while a car was found overturned and leaking oil in a parking lot. [1] The storm cut power to at least 44,000 buildings according to one account and to 14,000 buildings according to another. [1] [3] Okinawa and Amami island in Kagoshima prefecture are the main areas expected to be affected in Japan. [3] [4]
Storm Characteristics and Warnings
Typhoon Dolphin brings strong winds and heavy rain to Okinawa, Japan. — Source: bangkokpost The Japan Meteorological Agency classified Dolphin as a very strong typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 162 km/h and gusts up to 216 km/h. [1] [3] The agency warned of high waves, storm surges and lightning strikes. [1] The storm was about 160 km northwest of Kume Island in Okinawa as of 0300 GMT, moving northwest at 15 kph. [3] The typhoon had maximum sustained winds of 162 kph with gusts reaching 216 kph. [3] [4] Dolphin is expected to make landfall on China’s eastern coast late on Sunday or early on Monday. [1]
Disruption to Air Travel
Flights to and from Naha International Airport were cancelled as the airport closed on Friday when the storm arrived. [1] Domestic carriers ANA and Japan Airlines halted services to the region. [3] [4] At least 12 flights connecting Hong Kong with mainland China, Taiwan and Japan were cancelled. [2] Eight outbound flights were cancelled on Saturday, including to Okinawa and Ishigaki in Japan and three to Shanghai on the mainland, with additional cancellations to Zhoushan, Ningbo and Taipei. [2] Arrivals were also affected, with one flight each from Zhoushan, Taipei, Ishigaki and Okinawa cancelled. [2] HK Express cancelled one flight between Hong Kong and Ningbo on Saturday and another on Sunday. [2] In Taiwan, 63 international flights were cancelled because of the typhoon. [3] [4]
Preparations in China
{IMAGE_3} In China, ports, ferry routes and schools were shut ahead of the storm’s arrival. [1] Ningbo Lishe International Airport in Zhejiang said it would stop operations from 23:30 local time on Saturday and suspend all flights on Sunday. [1] [3] A coastal typhoon alert in Zhejiang was raised to its highest level. [1] Port and ferry services were halted in the Chinese province, with 162 passenger ferry routes suspended. [3] [4] Shanghai’s Yangshan port had been cleared of vessels by late Friday. [3] [4] Some rail services in the Yangtze River Delta will be suspended from Sunday. [3] [4] The China National Meteorological Centre said Typhoon Dolphin was expected to make landfall along China’s eastern and southern coast between late Sunday and early Monday, most likely between Zhoushan city in Zhejiang province and Fuding city in Fujian province. [3] [4] It is expected to bring winds of 38-45 metres per second near its centre. [3] [4] Rain and strong winds are expected to affect eastern China through August 12, including parts of Shanghai and neighbouring provinces, with some areas of eastern Zhejiang forecast to receive more than 600 mm of rain. [3] [4]
Effects on Taiwan and Regional Maritime Orders
In Taiwan, 63 international flights were cancelled because of the typhoon. [3] [4] Heavy rain was expected in northern parts of the island over the weekend, though authorities had not ordered evacuations as of Saturday. [3] [4] China has ordered that ships passing through the Taiwan Strait must heed its traffic control instructions due to the typhoon. [3] [4] Taipei denounced the measures as “ridiculous,” saying that Beijing has no right to restrict access to international waters. [3] [4] China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and also claims the strategic strait, claims that both Taipei and Washington reject. [3] [4]
Seasonal and Climatic Context
Typhoon season in the western Pacific typically occurs between May and October. [1] This year is a strong El Niño year, which experts say means typhoons can grow to be more intense. [1] In an average year of 25 cyclones reaching tropical storm strength in the region, around three usually make landfall in Japan, according to the country’s meteorological agency. [1] Some of these will be strong enough to be classified as typhoons, as was the case with Dolphin. [1] A typhoon is the term used for storms that form in the north-west Pacific. [1]
What to watch next: The storm is expected to make landfall on China’s eastern coast late on Sunday or early on Monday, with continued heavy rain and strong winds forecast through August 12 in parts of eastern Zhejiang.
