Typhoon Noru to lash Japan with flooding, damaging winds into early week

By Eric Leister, AccuWeather meteorologist

August 5,2017, 9:45:52AM,EDT

 

Typhoon Noru will slowly cross southern and central Japan into Tuesday, unloading flooding rain and damaging winds.

Despite weakening from its peak strength, residents and visitors across Japan should be rushing to complete preparations ahead of Noru.
Noru has already slammed the northern Ryukyu Islands with excessive rainfall and will continue to unleash damaging winds and flooding rain along its path.
Noru is currently the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane in the Atlantic and East Pacific basins.
After churning nearly stationary south of Kyushu to start the weekend, the typhoon will slowly meander northeastward through Sunday. The heaviest rain and strongest winds will then shift from the northern Ryukyu Islands to southern Kyushu.

Residents should brace for widespread downed trees, power outages and some minor structural damage. An inundating storm surge will further endanger lives and property.
Noru will then crawl across Shikoku to western Honshu on Sunday night into Monday. On Tuesday, Noru is expected to be along central Honshu's coast with the Sea of Japan.
Interaction with the mountainous terrain will cause Noru to weaken as it crosses Japan. While that will lessen the risk of damaging winds, flooding rain will continue to be unloaded.
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Heavy rain on the magnitude of 150 to 300 mm (6 to 12 inches) will pour down from the northern Ryukyu Islands to west-central Honshu. Locally higher amounts are likely, especially in the mountains. Life-threatening flooding and mudslides are a serious concern.
Naze, located on Amami Ōshima Island, has been inundated with more than 600 mm (23 inches) of rain since Friday afternoon, local time.
"With this system coming across China Sunday and steering Noru northward, South Korea will likely be spared of Noru's dangerous impacts," AccuWeather Meteorologist Jordan Root said.

South Korea could have some heavier showers into early week associated with an uptick in moisture from Noru's close approach, but overall, the heaviest rain will stay well east.
Around midweek, Noru is likely to spread its heavy rain and gusty winds over northern Japan or southeast Russia.
"Noru will be in a weakened state at this point, but heavy rain and rough surf along the west coast of Japan can still occur," Root cautioned.
Noru has been on a long journey across the West Pacific. Noru formed on July 20, then reached super typhoon status and became the strongest tropical cyclone on the planet so far this year on July 30.