Strong eruptions continue at Minamidake crater of Sakurajima volcano in Japan since April 27, 2020. A Level 3 near-crater warning is in effect in the area since 2016. A strong explosion at 13:46 UTC (22:52 LT) on April 27 generated an ash plume that rose over 3 km...
May 11, 2020
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the JMA as M6.0 hit northwest of Ryukyu Islands, Japan at 11:54 UTC (20:54 JST) on May 3, 2020. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). Both USGS and EMSC are reporting it as M5.9 at a depth of 10 km. The...
May 03, 2020
A tsunami up to 30 m (98 feet) could hit Hokkaido in northern Japan and Iwate in the northeast if an M9 quake occurs off the Pacific coast, a government panel warned Tuesday, April 21, 2020, based on a worst-case scenario, adding that a mega-earthquake centered...
April 29, 2020
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the JMA as M6.1 hit near the east coast of Honshu at 20:39 UTC on April 19, 2020 (05:39 LT, April 20). The agency is reporting a depth of 50 km (31 miles). The USGS is reporting M6.4 at a depth of 41.7 km (25.9 miles);...
April 19, 2020
A very strong earthquake registered by the JMA as M6.8 at a depth of 490 km (304 miles) struck the Ogasawara (Bonin Islands) region of Japan at 08:25 UTC (17:26 JST) on April 18, 2020. The USGS is reporting M6.6 at a depth of 458 km (284 miles); EMSC M6.6 at a depth...
April 18, 2020
Japan's capital Tokyo could end up paralyzed within just three hours if a major eruption of Mount Fuji-- 100 km (62 miles) southwest of the city-- were to happen today, as shown in a recent simulation by the government's Central Disaster Management Council....
April 02, 2020
The Japan Coast Guard (JCG) has presented InSAR results from November 17, 2019, to February 28, 2020, showing a growth of Nishinoshima's central cone as well as changes to the island's surface, with the coastline expanding due to lava flows. Moreover, the...
March 13, 2020
Kuchinoerabujima volcano in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan erupted early Monday, February 3, 2020, ejecting volcanic ash up to 7 000 m (23 000 feet) above sea level. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), pyroclastic flows -- the first since January 29,...
February 03, 2020
Nishinoshima volcano in Japan has been showing continuous steam emissions rising from the island from January 15 to 21, 2020, the Japan Coast Guard reported. Lava flows were also seen entering the sea, while the heat radiation from the volcano has also been strong....
January 29, 2020
Residents of Sapporo city in Hokkaido prefecture, Japan, woke up to the largest amount of snowfall this winter on Tuesday, January 21, 2020, at 39 cm (15 inches) by 02:00 UTC (11:00 LT). The snow came as parts of the nation, including the island, were experiencing a...
January 23, 2020
Researchers have discovered signals due to slow slip events with huge amounts of slip along the Nankai Trough subduction zone, southeast of Japan. The findings shed light on the marine sedimentary environment and plate tectonics of Nankai Trough and may help in...
January 16, 2020
Japan's Kuchinoerabujima volcano erupted at 06:05 UTC on January 11, 2020, ejecting volcanic material up to 300 m (984 feet) from the crater of Mount Shindake. This is the first eruption at the volcano since February 2, 2019. Kuchinoerabujima is a volcano island...
January 11, 2020
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has raised the alert level for Kirishimayama (Shinmoedake) volcano from Level 1 to Level 2 on January 2, 2020. This is a Near-crater warning, urging residents and tourists to refrain from approaching the crater in Kobayashi,...
January 03, 2020
Strong explosions continue at Sakurajima's Minamidake crater, Japan, with the latest at 11:10 UTC on November 28, 2019. Ash plumes rose up to 4.5 km (15 000 feet) above sea level, or 3.3 km (10 800 feet) above the crater. The Alert Level remains at 3 (on a...
November 28, 2019
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) raised the Volcanic Alert Level for Kirishimayama (Shinmoedake) volcano, Kyushu, Japan to Level 2 at 05:10 JST on November 18, 2019 (20:10 UTC, November 17). JMA is urging residents and tourists to refrain from approaching the...
November 18, 2019
A former low-pressure area whose pressure pummelled over 24 hPa within a 24-hour period making it a "bomb cyclone" is seen over the seas over Russian Far Easton November 15, 2019. This cyclone is expected to bring heaps of snow to Japan today until...
November 15, 2019
The activity at the Sakurajima volcano has been increasing during the past few weeks, particularly since the end of October 2019. A strong eruption on November 8 generated an ash plume up to 6.7 km (22 000 feet). This is the largest eruption at the volcano since...
November 08, 2019
Satsuma-Iojima volcano (also known as Tokara-Iojima), Kyushu, Japan erupted at 08:35 UTC (17:35 JST) on November 2, 2019. This is the first eruption at this volcano since 2013. The volcano is a part of Kikai caldera, the source of one of the world's largest...
November 02, 2019
Many of the fatalities reported during the previous severe typhoons in Japan happened while victims were traveling in their cars, showing an urgent need for residents to understand they need to start evacuating much earlier and reach safety with a lot of time to...
October 29, 2019
Just two weeks after the devastation of Typhoon "Hagibis", torrential rains have triggered more flooding and landslides in the eastern part of Japan. At least 10 people were killed and 4 others remained missing, as of October 26, 2019. Japanese...
October 28, 2019
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has upgraded Volcano Alert Level for Kuchinoerabujima from 2 to 3 at 15:15 UTC on October 27, 2019 (00:15 JST, October 28). Kuchinoerabujima is a volcano island in Satsunan Islands, Japan, about 120 km (75 miles) SSW of...
October 28, 2019
Heavy rains pounded parts of eastern Japan on Friday, October 25, 2019 - the same areas affected by floods and strong winds produced by Typhoon "Hagibis" which made landfall on October 12. Evacuation orders for hundreds of thousands have been issued after...
October 25, 2019
Typhoon "Hagibis" caused widespread damage in Japan following its landfall near the Izu Peninsula on October 12, 2019. The aftermath is still being felt by farmers as the storm caused extreme damage to farms, forests, and fisheries. The total damage has...
October 23, 2019
The area along the Abukuma River in northeastern Japan was almost totally submerged in floodwater as an aftermath of chaotic Typhoon "Hagibis," which made landfall in Shizuoka Prefecture on October 12, 2019. The storm dumped massive rains, in parts...
October 20, 2019
Typhoon "Hagibis" made landfall near Izu Peninsula in Japan's Shizuoka Prefecture, just southwest of Tokyo, shortly before 10:00 UTC (19:00 LT) on October 12, 2019, bringing extremely heavy rain and wind of 144 km/h (90 mph), Category 2 hurricane...
October 13, 2019
Extremely dangerous Typhoon "Hagibis" is approaching Japan. Landfall is expected near Tokyo on October 12 with maximum sustained winds of 160 km/h (98 mph), equivalent to Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Authorities are...
October 11, 2019
Tropical Storm "Hagibis" formed on October 5, 2019, and underwent one of the most explosive intensification rates on record. Hagibis exploded from a tropical storm with winds of 96 km/h (60 mph) to a Category 5 super typhoon with winds of 257 km/h (160...
October 09, 2019
Typhoon "Tapah" left more than 50 people injured in Japan as it moved through the Sea of Japan on Monday, September 23, 2019. The typhoon, which is the 17th to hit the nation this year, traversed over the sea through the morning of September 23. The...
September 23, 2019
More than a week after taking a direct hit by Typhoon "Faxai", Japan is still counting damage. The storm left agriculture, forestry, and fishery severely affected in Chiba Prefecture. More than 67 000 homes are still without power, down from 930 000, and...
September 17, 2019
Just a week after a direct hit by Typhoon "Faxai," two cities in Chiba Prefecture released evacuation advisories to more than 47 000 residents due to possible mudslides. According to weather officials, torrential rains hit several parts of the prefecture...
September 16, 2019
A relatively strong explosion took place at Sakurajima volcano, Aira caldera, Japan at 22:46 UTC on September 15, 2019 (07:46 LT, September 16). According to the Tokyo VAAC, the ash plume is reaching 4 000 m (13 000 feet) above sea level, extending SW. This is 2 880...
September 16, 2019
Hundreds of thousands of households near Tokyo were still without power and water on Wednesday, September 11, amid intense heat after powerful Typhoon "Faxai" ripped through the metropolitan area earlier in the week. Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings...
September 11, 2019
Powerful Typhoon "Faxai" made landfall in the coastal city of Chiba shortly before 20:00 UTC on September 8, 2019 (05:00 JST, September 9), bringing record-breaking wind gusts to parts of the region. Nearly 1 000 000 customers lost power, more than 100...
September 09, 2019
Tropical Storm "Faxai" formed in the Pacific Ocean on September 5, 2019, as the 15th named storm of the 2019 Pacific typhoon season. The system is now closing in on Japan. Landfall is expected near Tokyo on September 8, 2019. Faxai has undergone extreme...
September 07, 2019
Tropical Storm "Faxai" formed in the Pacific Ocean on September 5, 2019, as the 15th named storm of the 2019 Pacific typhoon season. At of 06:00 UTC on September 5, the center of Tropical Storm "Faxai" was located about 1 685 km (1 050 miles) ESE...
September 05, 2019
Tropical Cyclone "Lingling," known as Liwayway in the Philippines, formed September 1 in the Western Pacific Ocean as the 14th named tropical cyclone of the 2019 Pacific typhoon season. The storm is heading toward southern Ryukyu Islands, Japan and the...
September 04, 2019
Record rains struck Northern Kyushu on August 27 and 28, 2019, and continue to devastate parts of Southwestern Japan, killing at least 3 people and triggering evacuation orders for around 870 000 residents. 1.9 million were advised to evacuate. Parts of the region...
August 29, 2019
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the JMA as M6.1 hit off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan at 23:46 UTC on August 28, 2019 (08:46 JST, August 29). The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). USGS is reporting M6.1 at a depth of 17.2 km (10.7...
August 29, 2019
A large and dangerous Tropical Storm "Krosa" is heading toward Japan, bringing heavy rain and strong winds. Landfall is expected in southern Shikoku around midnight UTC, August 15. This will be the third tropical cyclone to hit mainland Japan after Nari on...
August 14, 2019
Typhoon "Lekima," the 9th named tropical cyclone of the 2019 Pacific typhoon season is strengthening on its way toward southern Ryukyu Islands, Japan, northern Taiwan and Shanghai, China. Although Lekima passed well north of Philippines and it didn't...
August 07, 2019