Typhoon on Track to Hit Japan’s Main Island July 28 During Olympics

Tokyo, MINA – A typhoon remains on course to make landfall in northeast Japan early Wednesday, the weather agency said, but Tokyo Olympics organizers are not planning to postpone any events besides the already rescheduled rowing and archery.

Typhoon Nepartak, swirling toward the country’s main island of Honshu, could bring strong winds and high waves in wide areas including Tokyo, the Japan Meteorological Agency warned.

Women’s soccer events on Tuesday in the northeastern prefecture of Miyagi and eastern prefectures of Ibaraki, Kanagawa and Saitama were held as scheduled, even as the typhoon was approaching.

The soccer games in Miyagi and Ibaraki were held with spectators, unlike most other Olympic events that only allow athletes, staff and organizers in venues due to the coronavirus pandemic, Kyodo News reported.

But the Miyagi prefectural government canceled the activities of about 280 volunteers who had been expected to guide spectators due to the approaching typhoon.

The weather agency issued a warning for strong winds and high waves in neighboring Fukushima Prefecture and also called on other areas to be on alert for heavy rain, flooding and mudslides.

In the 24 hours through Wednesday evening, rainfall of up to 180 millimeters is projected for the Tohoku northeastern region and 80 mm for the Kanto-Koshin region, including Tokyo.

The typhoon is expected to weaken to an extratropical cyclone on Wednesday, the agency said.

As of 6 p.m. Tuesday, the typhoon was located around 120 kilometers east-northeast of Choshi in Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo, according to the agency. It had an atmospheric pressure of 990 hectopascals at its center and was packing winds of up to 108 kph.(T/R3/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)