Strong gusts and heavy rain batter a lodging facility on Hachijojima island, south of Tokyo, as Typhoon No. 22 sweeps through the area early on Oct. 9. (Koki Furuhata)

Photo/Illutration The expected path of Typhoon No. 22 as of 6 a.m. on Oct. 9 (Captured from Japan Meteorological Agency website)

Powerful Typhoon No. 22 swept through the Izu island chain south of Tokyo early on Oct. 9, dumping record rainfall on the area and churning winds that blew away rooftops.

No injuries were immediately reported in the storm, which prompted the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue a rare Heavy Rain Emergency Warning for Hachijojima island.

The typhoon unleashed 356.5 millimeters of rain on the island in the 24 hours to 10:30 a.m., a record for the island.

The JMA also issued a special heavy rain advisory for the southern Izu island chain, citing the repeated formation of linear rainbands over the area.

As of 11 a.m., Typhoon No. 22 was located east of Hachijojima island and moving east-northeast at about 30 kph. Its central pressure was 940 hectopascals, with maximum sustained winds of 180 kph near the center and maximum instantaneous wind gusts of 252 kph.

The typhoon is expected to move eastward, away from the Japanese archipelago.

However, JMA officials warn that saturated ground conditions across the Izu island chain could still trigger landslides. The agency urged residents to remain vigilant until at least the evening of Oct. 9.

VEHICLE TOPPLED, ROOFS BLOWN AWAY

Around 7 a.m., Hachijojima police reported an overturned car in a neighborhood on the island. They also reported fallen trees, downed power lines, blocked roads and water leaking into homes through damaged roofs.

Municipal officials received two reports of roofs being torn off by the wind.

They said weather conditions were too dangerous to inspect the damage firsthand, and even opening car doors proved difficult.

Power outages were confirmed in parts of the island.

Five evacuation centers had been established on the island ahead of the storm, but due to unexpectedly high demand, a sixth was opened just after 11 p.m. on Oct. 8.

An Asahi Shimbun reporter on Hachijojima island described the scene between 6 and 7 a.m. as “harrowing.”

Fierce winds slammed into the windows of a lodging facility with loud “whooshing” and rattling sounds every few seconds, causing the building to shake. The shared outdoor area was littered with chairs and leaves.

The lights flickered on and off intermittently, and roof panels appeared on the verge of detaching. Rain and tree branches were blown sideways by the relentless gusts.

Sheets of rain reduced the outside visibility to near zero.

(This article was written by Jumpei Miura, Koki Furuhata and Shoko Rikimaru.)