Typhoon Malakas Racing Through Parts of Japan, Weakening
By Drew Lerner
Kansas City, September 20 (World Weather Inc.) – Typhoon Malakas was rapidly weakening as it moved from coastal areas of Shikoku to southern coastal areas of Honshu in the past several hours. The storm was expected to be sheared apart during the next 24 hours while racing east northeasterly back out to sea over the colder water of the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Heavy rain and breezy conditions will linger in Japan today before finally abating from the region Wednesday and Thursday. Some damage to rice and personal property has occurred since reaching Kyushu early this morning, but assessing the impact will come slowly over the next few days after the weather clears.
At 0300 GMT Tuesday, the center of storm was located 113 miles southeast of Iwakuni, Japan at 33.4 north, 134.7 east. Movement was northeasterly at 24 mph and its maximum sustained wind speeds near the storm center were greater than 75 mph (typhoon force) out 45 miles from the storm center. Tropical Storm force wind (speeds greater than 39 mph) were occurring out 120 miles from the storm center.
Steady weakening is expected today and the typhoon will be downgraded to tropical storm status very soon and to depression status before the day is over.
The biggest threat from Malakas may be in its rainfall and coastal storm surge. The ground is saturated across most of Japan after multiple tropical cyclones have brought moisture to the nation since early August. Flooding may harm rice because the crop is mostly mature or maturing. Harvesting is under way and some of the crop might be knocked to the ground by the strong wind and heavy rainfall rendering the crop useless. Some of the remaining crop could suffer a decline crop quality as more rain falls across the nation. Just a few days ago the remnants of Typhoon Meranti brought significant rain to parts of the nation.
Remnants of Malakas will race across the central south coast of Honshu today and it will race back over open water in the western Pacific Ocean tonight, Wednesday and Thursday. The storm is expected to dissipate shortly after leaving the Honshu coast because of cool ocean water and shear aloft. An assessment of damage done by the storm will begin Wednesday.
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