9/16/2011 Tropical storm Roke bearing down on west Japan

Source: NHK World
Date: Friday, September 16, 2011 22:33 +0900 (JST)


Tropical storm Roke is bringing torrential rain on the Pacific side of western and central Japan. It could trigger more damage to areas already battered by a storm that hit earlier this month.

The Meteorological Agency says the tropical storm was over the sea about 190 kilometers east of Naha, Okinawa, on Friday evening local time.

The storm is packing winds of more than 80 kilometers per hour near its center.

Roke, accompanied by a warm and humid air mass from the Pacific, is currently bringing up to around 50 millimeters of rain per hour to western and central Japan.

Localized downpours have been reported in the Kii Peninsula, which saw record rains from tropical storm Talas earlier this month. Talas left nearly 100 people dead or missing.

In the Kii area, local governments have ordered hundreds of people to evacuate, as dammed-up rivers formed by landslides caused by Talas could collapse under another spell of heavy rain.

Up to 300 millimeters of rain are expected in the region by Saturday afternoon, raising fears of more landslides and other damage. Weather officials are calling on people to stay alert.

Additional Resources:

Japan Meteorological Agency: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/typh/1115.html

Infrared satellite data shows Tropical Storm Roke strengthening: http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-09-infrared-satellite-tropical-storm-roke.html

Wikipedia Entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Storm_Roke_%282011%29

Weather Underground: http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/wp201118.html