Sts Dolphin Heads For Japan Pacific Coast
Severe Tropical Storm Dolphin is now heading toward Japan and could affect eastern and northern Japan on Thursday or Friday. Weather officials are warning that the country's Pacific coast could be in store for powerful winds and heavy downpours.
The Meteorological Agency says the storm was 230 kilometers south-southwest of Hachijojima Island at noon Wednesday. It was moving northeast at about 20 kilometers per hour.
The storm, which has a central atmospheric pressure of 975 hectopascals, was packing maximum winds of over 108 kilometers per hour.
Heavy rain is expected in the Pacific coastal areas from the Tokai region to Tohoku region until Friday.
Weather officials forecast up to 200 millimeters of rain for 24 hours until Thursday morning in the Tokai region and the Izu Islands, 150 millimeters in the Kanto-Koshin region and 80 millimeters in the Tohoku region.
Over a 24-hour period starting Thursday morning, rainfall of 200 to 300 millimeters is expected in the Kanto-Koshin region, of 100 to 200 millimeters in the Tohoku region and the Izu Islands, and of 50 to 100 millimeters in the Tokai region.
Strong winds are also expected from the Tokai through Tohoku regions. Coastal areas will likely see rough waves. Maximum winds of up to 90 kilometers per hour are expected in the Izu Islands for Thursday, 82 kilometers per hour in the Kanto region, and 72 kilometers per hour in the Tohoku and Tokai regions.
People are urged to stay on alert for possible mudslides, flooding, thunderstorms, tornadoes and hailstorms.
