Japan narrowly avoids catastrophic impact as rare Typhoon “Ampil” skirts the Tokyo region

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has issued warnings for fierce winds, high waves, and potential landslides as Typhoon “Ampil” grazed the country on August 16, 2024. The storm, currently located off the Pacific coast, has prompted evacuation orders for over 340 000 residents and led to significant disruptions in transportation and power supply.

• Level 4 evacuation orders were issued in the Chiba Prefecture cities of Mobara and Asahi, as well as in the city of Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture.
• Level 3 advisories, encouraging the elderly and those with disabilities to evacuate, were issued in various cities in Tokyo, Chiba, Kanagawa, Ibaraki, and Fukushima prefectures. 

Very Strong Typhoon “Ampil” grazed the Pacific coast of Japan on August 16, disrupting major parts of the country during the peak summer holiday season.

The typhoon had 10-minute sustain winds of 162 km/h (100 mph) and maximum gusts of 215 km/h (134 mph) as its eye passed about 120 km (75 miles) northeast of Hachijojima, according to the JMA. The system was moving N at 15 km/h (9 mph) and had a central atmospheric center of 950 hPa.

According to the JTWC, Ampil had maximum 1-minute sustained winds of 205 km/h (127 mph) and gusts to 250 km/h (155 mph) at 06:00 UTC today.

South-east Japan is lucky that the cyclone is passing just offshore, said James Reynolds of EarthUncut TV.

“I cannot stress enough how lucky southeast Japan and Tokyo region are that this is passing just offshore. This is a remarkable specimen of a typhoon, extremely rare in this part of the basin. Hard to imagine the impacts if it was tracking 150 km to the west,” Reynolds said.

“Having a storm this strong at 34°N is already rare, however, having that storm then also pass within a few hundred kilometers of the Tokyo Metro area is almost unheard of. Japan really dodged a bullet with Ampil,” said Kevi Shader on X. “This could have been a generational storm.”

The JMA has issued warnings for fierce winds, high waves, landslides, and flooding, particularly in the Kanto-Koshin, Tohoku, and Tokai regions.

The Kanto region, which includes Tokyo, could experience fierce winds capable of causing injuries from flying debris or even overturning trucks in motion. The Izu Islands could experience winds strong enough to cause some homes to collapse.

Several regions have implemented evacuation orders and advisories. Iwaki City in Fukushima Prefecture has ordered approximately 323 000 residents to evacuate.

Mobara City in Chiba Prefecture issued a Level 4 evacuation order for about 18 500 residents. Additionally, dozens of cities have opened special evacuation centers, advising voluntary evacuation.

The typhoon has caused widespread power outages, leaving over 2 400 homes across Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa prefectures without electricity, according to the Tokyo Electric Power Company.

All high-speed Shinkansen bullet train services between Tokyo and Nagoya have been suspended. Local rail lines across the Kanto region have faced severe disruptions, with some lines completely suspended.

ANA Holdings announced the cancellation of 281 domestic and 54 international flights on Friday, affecting nearly 70 000 passengers. The airline also plans to cancel 32 domestic flights to and from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Saturday, August 17, disrupting travel for an additional 2 300 passengers. Japan Airlines has also canceled 281 domestic and 38 international flights, affecting approximately 50 000 passengers.

Tokyo Disneyland, along with various restaurants, department stores, and amusement parks, closed early or reduced business hours. Sogo and Ito-Yokado department stores in Chiba Prefecture have also announced temporary closures due to the storm.

While the storm’s track has kept Japan from facing a worst-case scenario, the situation remains precarious, according to meteorologist Robert Speta, a typhoon expert. “Even the difference of a few kilometers from the eyewall could be the difference between 150 km/h (93.2 mph) or 50 km/h (31.1 mph),” Speta said. He warned that if the storm veers slightly west, more areas could experience damaging winds.

Typhoon “Ampil” is expected to continue affecting eastern Japan through Saturday, with heavy rainfall likely in the Kanto-Koshin and Tohoku regions. The JMA predicts up to 300 mm (11.8 inches) of rainfall in Kanto-Koshin and up to 200 mm (7.9 inches) in Tohoku within 24 hours.

References:

¹ Tropical Cyclone Information – JMA – August 16, 2024

² Typhoon Ampil lashes eastern Japan with heavy rain and wind – The Japan Times – August 16, 2024

³ Japan’s eastern region orders evacuations as Typhoon Ampil approaches – Reuters – August 16, 2024

Featured image: Typhoon “Ampil” at 08:00 UTC on August 16, 2024. Credit: JMA/Himawari-9, RAMMB/CIRA, The Watchers

Rishav Kothari

I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.

• Rishav Kothari

  Two women reported dead after tornado touchdown in Mount Vernon, Illinois
• Rishav Kothari

  Tornado damages retirement community in Newburgh during severe weather outbreak across Illinois and Indiana
• Rishav Kothari

  2025 Kamchatka earthquake rupture matched the 1952 great earthquake, study finds
• Rishav Kothari

  Red Flag Warning issued in parts of Alaska due to lightning threat