Powerful Typhoon Goni Slams Japan; South Korea Next in Line

By Eric Leister, Meteorologist

August 24,2015; 10:58PM,EDT

 

 

Goni remains a powerful typhoon as it batters Japan's Ryukyu Islands and aims for southern Japan and South Korea early this week.
The eye of Goni crossed the Yaeyama Islands, the southwestern most Ryukyu Islands, on Sunday evening local time (Sunday morning EDT) with destructive winds and torrential rainfall.

Typhoon Goni Lashes Northern Philippines

After weakening as it lashed the northern Philippines, Goni has since strengthened with its intensity now equal to that of a major hurricane in the Atlantic or eastern Pacific oceans. Goni left 15 people dead, mainly due to landslides, in the Philippines, the Associated Press reports.
Within the eyewall of Goni, Ishigakijima recorded sustained winds of 162 kph (101 mph) and a gust to 255 kph (159 mph). The city endured sustained winds over typhoon force for four straight hours.
Goni and the worst of its fury will continue to track just to the west of the northern Ryukyu Islands into Monday night, but the powerful typhoon will still pass close enough to produce damaging winds of 95 to 130 kph (60 to 80 mph) and rainfall of 75 to 150 mm (3 to 6 inches).

Watch Typhoon Goni taking aim on Japan on the Japan National Radar.
While mainland Japan escaped a blow from Typhoon Atsani, the same cannot be said for Goni.
Landfall is expected over western Kyushu around midday Tuesday before emerging into the Sea of Japan Tuesday afternoon.
Conditions began to deteriorate across western mainland Japan on Monday and will continue to worsen into the daytime hours of Tuesday as the powerful typhoon barrels across Kyushu.

While the worst conditions are expected across Kyushu, Shikoku and the Chugoku region of Honshu should also be prepared for flooding rainfall and locally damaging winds.
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Goni's strength will be equal to that of a Category 2 hurricane when its center makes landfall or grazes northwestern Kyushu on Monday night. Nagasaki is at risk of facing a direct landfall.

Near the center of Goni, wind gusts of 160 to 195 kph (100 to 120 mph) will howl and cause widespread damage on Kyushu. Anyone outside during the height of the storm faces being struck, potentially fatally by flying debris.
Winds, otherwise, will average 80 to 130 kph (50 to 80 mph) across the island, as well as on Shikoku, western Honshu and the southeastern tip of South Korea. Such winds threaten to damage trees and weak structures and lead to power outages.
In addition to the wind, rainfall will total 100 to 200 mm (4 to 8 inches) across the above areas. Locally higher amounts are possible, especially in the higher terrain. The greatest rain amounts will be measured near and north of Goni's center. Flash flooding and mudslides are sure to result.
Even though the center of Goni will pass to the east of South Korea, heavy rainfall is expected across the nation with the greatest threat for flooding in southern and eastern parts of the country.
AccuWeather Korea's meteorologist SungHyun Do expects eastern South Korea to receive 100-200 mm (4-8 inches) of rain.
Seoul will escape the worst of Goni with just a soaking rain falling from Tuesday into Tuesday night.
This satellite image of Goni is courtesy of NOAA.
An inundating storm surge will further put lives at risk along the coast of Kyushu. The surge could reach heights of a couple of meters (several feet) near and east of Goni's center on Kyushu's western and southernmost coast.
A storm surge may also cause flooding along the south-facing coasts of Shikoku and southwest Honshu.
Goni will weaken to a tropical storm prior to making its final landfall around Vladivostok, Russia, during the middle of the week. Flooding rainfall and winds of 65 to 95 kph (40 to 60 mph) will remain a threat around the border of southeastern Russia and northeastern China for several days before Goni dissipates inland.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski contributed to this story.