Typhoon Jangmi sweeps northwards leaving 23 injured in Japan

Typhoon Jangmi (Typhoon No 6) moved northwards this week, bringing prolonged heavy rain from Okinawa to mainland Japan. The downpours prompted landslide warnings and level 4 river alerts, a level that allows municipalities to issue evacuation orders. Three-hourly rainfall totals on Wednesday reached 105mm in Chiyoda, Tokyo, a monthly record.

Sustained winds of 80mph (130kph) on Monday made Jangmi a category 1 typhoon and caused damage and disruption to businesses, transport, infrastructure and the environment. By Wednesday, 23 people had been injured—17 in Okinawa—and 57 homes were damaged while about 60,000 properties lost electricity.

Authorities advised 1.52 million people to evacuate. The storm also damaged the exterior wall of Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site in western Japan; the Japan Meteorological Agency recorded a maximum wind speed there of 56mph. The system has since weakened into a tropical depression and moved eastwards away from the islands.

Japan, Okinawa, Chiyoda, Himeji

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