2-6-2023 (TOKYO) As Typhoon Mawar approached Japan, parts of the country were battered by torrential rain on Friday (Jun 2), leading authorities to issue evacuation advisories to tens of thousands of residents. The typhoon, which had previously caused significant damage in Guam, weakened to tropical storm strength as it neared the main island of Honshu. While the main body of the storm was expected to pass south of Honshu and move into the Pacific, forecasters cautioned about the potential danger of humid air from the typhoon combining with a seasonal rain front, resulting in heavy localized rainfall.
Past instances of similar weather patterns have resulted in devastating floods and landslides, particularly in the summer of 2018 when over 200 people lost their lives in western Japan. In response to the approaching typhoon, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued flood warnings for the Okinawa island chain, as well as parts of Shikoku and Honshu islands. Forecasts indicated the possibility of up to 350mm of rainfall in certain areas of western Honshu within a 24-hour period until Saturday morning.
Shikoku, in particular, experienced intense rainfall, with 162.5mm recorded in a three-hour span until 9am local time (8am Singapore time). Nearly half of that rainfall occurred within one hour, prompting concerns about potential landslides. In the city of Toyohashi, located in central Honshu, approximately 27,000 individuals were advised to evacuate, while evacuation advisories were also issued in parts of Shikoku.
Although a number of flights to the Okinawa island chain were canceled due to the typhoon, there have been no major reports of transportation disruptions as of Friday morning.
