Typhoon Malakas Makes Landfall in Kyushu, Japan; Heavy Rain and Flooding Expected

Tom Moore
Published: September 19,2016
Typhoon Malakas made landfall early Tuesday morning, local time, on the southern portion of Japan's Kyushu Island in the Kagoshima Prefecture. Japan is 13 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern daylight time.
Maximum estimated sustained winds were about 115 mph near the time of landfall, according to the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

Current Storm Info

A wind gust to nearly 100 mph has been reported at Makurazaki in Kagoshima Prefecture. Nearby Ibusuki clocked a wind gust up to 95 mph.
(MORE: Typhoon Alley: Where The Most Intense Tropical Cyclones Most Frequently Occur)

Current Winds

Warnings for this damaging wind potential, heavy rain and flooding potential have been issued by the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA).
Malakas will continue impacting Kyushu, then Shikoku and much of southern Japan Tuesday (local time), but is expected to be weakening with time.

Projected Path and Intensity

The most widespread impact in mainland Japan will be heavy rainfall and flooding.
Monday night, Takanabe in Miyazaki Prefecture reported a rain rate of 4.33 inches (110 millimeters) in one hour, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

Over 22 inches (578 mm) of rain has been tallied at one location in Miyazaki Prefecture on Kyushu Island in the 24 hours ending Tuesday morning. Additional amounts of 5-8 inches are expected through early Wednesday in southern and central Japan, with locally higher amounts in mountainous terrain.

Landslides are possible in and around the higher terrain of the southern and central Japan, particularly in Kyushu, according to the JMA.

Rainfall Forecast

The center of Malakas is expected to pass near Tokyo early Wednesday as a weakening tropical storm or tropical depression on Wednesday morning. Heavy rainfall is expected.

Malakas Impact on Taiwan and Japan's Ryukyu Islands

Wind gusts were reported up to 59 mph on an elevated station at Lanyu, Taiwan, and 38 mph in Hualien province in eastern Taiwan on Saturday morning Taiwan time.
In Japan, wind gusts up to 100 mph were reported in Yonagunijima where the eye directly passed overhead. Gusts to 60 mph were reported in Ishigaki in the far southern Ryukyu Islands early Saturday.

MORE: Typhoon Meranti Impacts Taiwan and China