Typhoon Chan-hom Ravages Japan; New Tropical Depression in South China Sea May Approach Next Week

(CNA, Tokyo, 4th, Combined Foreign News) According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, Typhoon Chan-hom transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on the night of the 3rd and is gradually moving away from Japan. However, a new tropical depression has formed in the South China Sea and is expected to approach the Japanese archipelago next week.

According to TV Asahi, Chan-hom moved eastward along the Japanese archipelago on the 3rd, bringing severe wind and rain to various areas. This marks the first time in 14 years that a typhoon has made landfall in Japan in June.

Due to the typhoon, linear rainbands (known as line-shaped convective systems in Taiwan, where cumulonimbus clouds align in a line extending 50 to 300 km) occurred successively along Japan's Pacific coast.

Among them, Owase City in Mie Prefecture recorded 535.5 mm of rainfall in 24 hours, and the Tokyo metropolitan area recorded 173.5 mm in just 12 hours. Some areas received the equivalent of a month's worth of rainfall for the season in just half a day to a day, breaking local June rainfall records.

Although Chan-hom has moved away from Japan, the Pacific coastal areas such as Kanto have not seen clear skies after the typhoon due to moist air drawn in by the low-pressure system.

Furthermore, as another low-pressure system approaches western Japan, the rain is intensifying again in that region. The Meteorological Agency warns that the soil is saturated and the ground has become significantly loosened due to the heavy rain from the previous typhoon, so the public must remain vigilant against landslides and mudslides. The Kyushu region also needs to be cautious of lightning and strong gusts.

Meanwhile, the new tropical depression formed in the South China Sea continues to develop. As of the morning of the 4th, the Japan Meteorological Agency has not yet issued a forecast for this depression to develop into a typhoon, but it emphasizes that even if the depression's structure does not strengthen further, its accompanying rainfall power should not be underestimated. Rainfall is expected to intensify from Okinawa to Hokkaido from this weekend to early next week.

With consecutive rainfall, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced at 11:00 a.m. on the 4th that the northern Kyushu region, the Chugoku region, and the Kinki region have officially entered the rainy season. (Translator: Li Jing / Editor: Chen Yanjun) 1150604