THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
September 19, 2022 at 15:14 JST
People remove collapsed trees in Kagoshima after powerful Typhoon No. 14 hit the region on Sept. 19. (Kenta Nozaki)
A mega-typhoon was slowly heading north-northeast around noon on Sept. 19 while damaging buildings, killing one and causing injuries mainly in the Kyushu region.
Typhoon No. 14, one of the most powerful storms to hit Japan, was near Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, at 9 a.m. and moving around 15 kph.
A wide area of Kyushu, one of Japan’s main islands, as well as some areas in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions, were within the storm area with winds of up to 90 kph.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has urged residents to stay on alert for landslides, swollen rivers and flooding.
According to the JMA, a special warning issued in Kagoshima Prefecture for powerful winds and high waves had been downgraded to a warning by 8 a.m. on Sept. 19.
But a special warning for heavy rain reamined in place in Miyazaki Prefecture, also in Kyushu.
The typhoon’s central pressure was 975 hectopascals. The typhoon had maximum sustained wind speeds of 108 kph, with instantaneous gusts reaching a maximum 162 kph, the JMA said.
Winds topping 90 kph were blowing within an area 260 km northeast and 185 km southwest of the eye of the typhoon.
The center of the storm is expected to reach 70 km north-northwest of Tottori around 9 p.m. on Sept. 19.
Twelve hours later, at 9 a.m. on Sept. 20, the eye will likely be 30 km northwest of Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture.
With the likely formation of linear rainbands, northern parts of Kyushu, the Chugoku region and the main island of Shikoku are at risk of heavy downpours on Sept. 19.
In the Kinki region, the same risk will increase toward the daytime on Sept. 20, while the risk in the Tokai region will heighten from the evening of Sept. 19 until the morning of Sept. 20.
The city government of Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Prefecture, said on Sept. 19 that a man in his 60s was pulled from a submerged vehicle in a rice field in the city. He was later confirmed dead.
According to data collected by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency as of 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 19, two people were seriously injured by the typhoon in Ehime and Miyazaki prefectures.
Fifteen minor injuries were reported in seven prefectures.
Four houses were inundated in Ehime and Kumamoto prefectures.
Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) said it will suspend operations of the Tokaido Shinkansen between Nagoya and Shin-Osaka stations from around 4 p.m. on Sept. 19.
The number of Nozomi bullet trains from Tokyo to Nagoya will be significantly reduced after 2 p.m., while the number in the opposite direction will decline after 5 p.m., JR Tokai said.
Japan Airlines Co. canceled 458 flights on Sept. 19, while All Nippon Airways Co. canceled 343 flights, affecting a total of about 81,000 people.
(This article was written by Katsumoto Horikawa and Norihiko Kuwabara.)
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