Severe tropical storm Maria, rated just below typhoon strength, made landfall around in northeastern Japan near Ofunato city moving northwest at 15 kmh with sustained winds of 90 kph and gusts up to 126 kph.
The storm brought record-breaking rainfall, with Kuji city in Iwate Prefecture recording 362-368.5 mm of rain in 24 hours, leading to warnings of landslides, flooding, and inundation of low-lying areas.
A top-level emergency warning (Level 5) was issued for parts of Nagauchi and Kokuji areas within the Nagauchi River basin of Kuji city, urging residents to evacuate or seek shelter.
Multiple buildings in Takusari area of Miyako city experienced flooding, and several rivers were at risk of overflowing due to an emergency release from the Taki Dam.
Maria is expected to move slowly into the Sea of Japan by evening, potentially weakening into a tropical depression by Tuesday, bringing prolonged rain, landslides, overflowing rivers, strong wind, and high waves to the region.
Numerous flights to the northern region were cancelled due to the typhoon.
Sources: NY Times, Japan Times, Straits Times, Yomiuri
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
