national

Japan issues highest alert as typhoon approaches Okinawa

43 Comments
By Kyoko Hasegawa

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© 2014 AFP

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

43 Comments
Login to comment

In_Japan, et al, Perhaps you are new to this site. The meme of old people getting blown off the roof while checking gutters and roof tiles during storms is a continuing "in-joke" to longtime posters. Please untwist your knickers and enjoy the reports and maps. :-) We are not such a bad lot.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

This one has a well-defined eye in the center/centre, usually a sign of power.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Stay safe people. These storms are becoming more frequent and more intense. Climate change IS HERE.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

he typhoon warning—the first since a new system began last August—means that the storm poses a threat to life and could inflict massive damage from gusts up to 270 kilometers per hour and torrential rain.

And still even after the warnings, we'll see people riding their bicycles and driving around doing their everyday stuff like it was nothing.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

The biggest typhoon.......... for July.

Japan's weather warning has erred more and more on the side of caution in recent years. Although this has kept the authorities protected against later recriminations whenever something does go wrong, (we warned you!) repeated anti-climaxes have created a boy-crying-wolf syndrome, with many people not paying overly too much attention.

A hard thing to predict, as a typhoon will usually probe for weaknesses in unexpected places. Of course it is better to be safe than sorry, but these things are rarely what the fear will be conjuring up for some, or the excitement seeming to promise for others.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The big concern now is the possibility the storm will make its major landfall in Japan in the Kumamoto area, then head northeast and then make another landfall on Honshu between Hiroshima and Fukuyama. The potential for wind and rain damage could be enormous in the areas affected.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Hopefully this will not be as bad as predicted, still hope folks take necessary precautions. It seems a bit early in the year to be worrying about typhoons!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I seriously hope no one attempts to go surfing in these waves. (Happens during and after just about EVERY typhoon that hits Okinawa) With predicted wave heights of 14 meters (About 46 feet) the local city office was making announcements at 10 PM tonight over the city speaker system, about staying away from the shoreline.

I am actually glad that JMA and the local governments are FINALLY getting their literal guano together and warning people (scaring the crap out of them for once) that it's dangerous out there. Okinawan's have a rather poor tendency to ignore these types of warnings and go about their business like a typhoon is no big deal.

One after effect of the tsunami in Tohoku (sorry it had to come to that for this to happen) is that the JMA and national government are warning people sooner and taking a pro-active approach towards safety PRIOR to a natural disaster.

HOPEFULLY this will keep casualties down, to hopefully zero!

-9 ( +1 / -10 )

Its time to float, sink or swim!! First be smart and get your emergency kit together if you didn't already have one!!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

MissingCyclonModel

That was one cool link.

Who knows if it will come, or still be big up here in Kansai...

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

We were told today that we have to come to school...we should find another way to get to school if our usual train stops running. So in other words, even though the situation is unsafe for a train made of metal ( and those in it of course), humans should brave the weather.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

After Okinawa, it's coming straight for Kyushu, headed my way, it's already raining like mad here, drenched and the 6 day forecast is pretty much rain until that Typhoon reaches us.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

They have tanks on the top of buildings to store rainwater. I always assumed it was because there were chronic water shortages - not a great number of major rivers/lakes/reservoirs in Okinawa?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Mud-slide and bad-sea season.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Okinawa doesn't need typhoons to replenish drinking water needs.The driest weather is in February and even then the average of 106 mm (4.2 in) of rainfall (precipitation) more than provides enough fresh water.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

All the Chiba and ibaraki surfers are on high alert too. It's gonna be huge! Not many places on the coast will hold a 4m swell, but those in the know know where to go.

Good luck okinawans!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@kaynide

You're forgetting

Somebody will post on Japan Today, complaining that the same stories appear year after year....
0 ( +0 / -0 )

Hang in there, peeps, and stay safe. No climbing on rooftops or going out to check river levels. If this is as big as they say, it might be pretty rough.

-8 ( +3 / -11 )

Stay safe everyone, in all regions. We've all had lots of rain already this year, so this typhoon is going to be a doozie. I'm going to tie down my bicycle.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

just watching the news, there are monstrous waves already hitting Okinawa and they are predicting waves of up to 14m! Batton down the hatches Southerners.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

You'll will not see an Okinawan (not even a single one) going to roof to see how typhoon looks like. So please keep your tasteless joke to yourself.

Someone seemed to miss the "Japan" comment. I didn't find it tasteless - it's common sense that gets ignored by hundreds here and results in death.

-2 ( +11 / -13 )

Devie. what is "praying hard"??. Using louder voice? scrunching up face while you pray? doing for longer peiods of time??

does it work?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

@Resident Defcon1 Evacuation 'alert' is an oxymoron The Defcon Scale is reserved for imminent or ongoing attack on US military forces or US territory by a foreign military power, so wrong in place, medium, threat and scale.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Time to pop upstairs and fix the tv aerial or that loose gutter that has been bothering me these last months.

I've developed a sudden insistent urge to sweep the leaves off the roof gutter.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Stay indoor okinawa folks hope not many damages and live involves. Praying hard for everyone. Takecare.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Builders just finished fixing my roof and guttering yesterday from the damage the heavy snow falls we had in February did, so perfect timing as far as that goes. Looks like it may put the damper on some weekend plans around kanto though

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

@YomgYang: Are you on 'Defcon 1' Evacuation alert?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Time to pop upstairs and fix the tv aerial or that loose gutter that has been bothering me these last months.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

This is Okinawa, They experience at least 6-10 (out of 24-32) Typhoons every year. You'll will not see an Okinawan (not even a single one) going to roof to see how typhoon looks like. So please keep your tasteless joke to yourself.

Notice I wrote "all Japan"? Oh and yes there are an occasional Okinawan oyaji who will go on the roof to check their tiles or toutan roofing......one got blown off last year.

Anyhow the typhoons bring the rain to fill the lakes so people have water to drink.

After the rainy season we had here in Okinawa this year we don't need any more water at the moment.

-5 ( +8 / -13 )

@Yuri, certainly tropical cyclones are a part of the weather systems around the planet, dissipating energy in the atmosphere, but with warming oceans, more moisture in the air, the new 'norm' is seeing more powerful and more frequent tropical cyclones, they are not so much normal but extreme weather events that bring terrible destruction. This typhoon is being compared to Typhoon Bart of 1999. Stay safe everyone.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Typhoons are normal in Okinawa. I have gone through so many in my life. Now tornado really bother me. Anyhow the typhoons bring the rain to fill the lakes so people have water to drink.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Damn, kyushuu has a lot to endure the last couple of days. hope it won't cause too much damage there.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Reminder to old folks throughout Japan......STAY OFF THE ROOF!

This is Okinawa, They experience at least 6-10 (out of 24-32) Typhoons every year. You'll will not see an Okinawan (not even a single one) going to roof to see how typhoon looks like. So please keep your tasteless joke to yourself.

4 ( +17 / -13 )

@Missing: Cool site. Thanks for that.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

@Max: Yes, Kyushu seems to get the worst of all scenarios, please be safe. Hope you7re not near a river, mountain, difficult in Kyushu I know, but again, be safe.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

The predicted curve into Kyushu is the worst. As a house-owner...I'm not too thrilled :(

1 ( +2 / -1 )

This is HUGE:

http://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/orthographic=-234.81,26.38,2048

3 ( +4 / -1 )

It's projected to go up the sea of Japan, anyone in Kanto will be going to work.

Be safe in Okinawa, Kyushu, Shikoku, Korea

http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfcph/RSS/jtwc/satshots/08W_062332sams.jpg

2 ( +7 / -5 )

Reminder to old folks throughout Japan......STAY OFF THE ROOF!

-5 ( +11 / -16 )

hope it hits tokyo with 1/2 the power so i can get the day off. time to start telling people to get off the roofs of their houses.

-4 ( +5 / -8 )

Stay safe folks. I admit, I am praying for a day off!

-3 ( +7 / -10 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites