No Major Damage Expected In Japan From Typhoon Namtheun
By Andrew Owen
Kansas City, September 2 (World Weather Inc.) – Typhoon Namtheun is still slated to track across Kyushu and neighboring areas in southern Japan over the weekend. Significant rain and brief periods of strong winds will evolve in several areas as the disturbance passes over the region. No major crop or structural damage is expected with exceptions for some minor rice damage due to flooding. The disturbance will drift northeasterly across the Sea of Japan Monday and Tuesday and will produce some significant rain in portions of Hokkaido and northern Honshu. Moisture from Namtheun will also be fed into Northeastern China at the beginning and middle of next week that will continue to promote a wet weather bias for the region.
At 1500 GMT, Typhoon Namtheun was located near 28.1 north, 130.8 east, or 323 miles south of Sasebo, Japan. Movement was northerly at 7 mph during the previous six hours. Maximum sustained surface wind speeds were at 115 mph, gusting up to 144 mph. Typhoon force wind speeds (greater than 73 mph) were occurring up to 23 miles away from the center of the system. Tropical storm force wind speeds (39 to 73 mph) were occurring up to 81 miles away from the center.
Pockets in western Kyushu will receive rain during the next few hours while southern Kyushu receives rain late this evening as Typhoon Namtheun tracks near the region. Namtheun will then slowly advance northerly across Kyushu and neighboring areas in Honshu and Shikoku over the course of the weekend. The disturbance will initially remain a typhoon when tracking into western Japan Saturday morning and afternoon before gradually weakening into a tropical storm by Sunday.
Kyushu and immediate neighboring areas will receive 1.00 to 6.00 inches of rain with local amounts of 10.00 inches or more as Typhoon Namtheun passes across the region. The ground is already saturated in most locations and the additional rain will likely generate some flooding. Wind speeds in excess of 100 mph will also occur in portions of Kyushu Saturday morning and afternoon before decreasing Saturday evening into Sunday. The combination of heavy rain and strong winds will potentially damage some of the rice and structures in Kyushu. Damage will be limited to portions of the island while neighboring areas in southern Honshu and Shikoku are not significantly impacted by the rain or winds.
Namtheun will likely remain a tropical storm when tracking north-northeasterly across the Sea of Japan Monday and Tuesday. Portions of northern Honshu and Hokkaido will receive 0.50 to 3.00 inches of rain as the disturbance passes near the region, although no flooding is expected for most locations.
Moisture from Typhoon Namtheun will be fed into Northeastern China as the disturbance passes across the Sea of Japan. This moisture coupled with an upper-level low pressure center will continue to promote scattered shower activity in to the region during the beginning and middle of next week. Rain will also be erratically distributed in Northeastern China through the end of the weekend. Seven-day rain totals ending next Friday morning will range from 0.75 to 4.00 inches in much of Jilin and Heilongjiang with locally greater amounts in eastern Heilongjiang. Corn and soybean maturation and early corn harvesting will be slowed or delayed due to the rain. Minor quality declines will be possible in the wettest locations as well.
A weak tropical disturbance will pass near eastern Honshu Tuesday and Wednesday. This disturbance could produce more than 1.50 inches of rain for areas near the coast, but will otherwise not have a major impact on any major rice production area.
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