Japan braces itself for heavy rain, strong winds as typhoon nears eastern coast

A large typhoon was moving toward eastern Japan’s Pacific coast on Sept 21, with the weather agency warning of heavy rain, strong winds and landslides.Typhoon Dujuan was projected to pass near the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, from the evening to late on Sept 21, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.The agency said downpours stemming from linear rainbands could occur in the Kanto-Koshin region in eastern Japan as well as the Tokai region in central Japan.The year’s 25th typhoon has already disrupted transportation, forcing the closure of parts of highways in the middle of a five-day holiday period.The typhoon, located about 170km west-south-west of Hachijo Island, was moving north at a speed of 20kmh as at 8am.It had an atmospheric pressure of 965 hectopascals at its centre, with maximum gusts of 180kmh, according to the agency’s website.The agency forecast up to 350mm of rain in the Tokai region, 300mm in the Kanto region and the Izu Island chain, and 200mm in the Tohoku region in north-eastern Japan in the 24 hours through 6am on Sept 22.