Storm Lashes Tokyo With 112 MPH Winds and Heavy Rain

With the demise of the El Niño earlier this year, not only did the activity in the Eastern Pacific get off to a slow start, but also in the Western Pacific. The first system in the WESTPAC formed on May 26th, which made it the fifth latest start for the typhoon season in the satellite era.

One of the four seasons that had slower starts in the Western Pacific was 1998, which happened to be a La Niña year. The first named storm didn’t develop until July 3rd, which was the second latest date for a named system to form in the Western Pacific. However, that named system happened to be Nepartak, which had winds of 125 mph winds.

To date in the Western Pacific, there have been 21 depressions, 11 named storms, and 3 typhoons. So far, these storms have led to 95 deaths, and some $1.89 billion United States dollars in damage. The latest of these storms, Typhoon Mindulle affected Japan on Monday. The capital of Tokyo was affected by winds gusting to 112 miles per hour along with heavy rain.

The effects from Typhoon Mindulle left one person dead and another 29 injured according to an article from the Japan Times. The typhoon made landfall near Tateyama on the Boso Peninsula around lunch time with maximum sustained winds of minimal hurricane strength at 75 miles per hour with gusts of 110 miles per hour. Tokyo’s airport was shut down due to the winds from Mindulle.

As a result, two national airlines had to cancel nearly 250 flights. Train services in Tokyo were also delayed or canceled. The heavy rains not only produced flooding, but also mudslides around Tokyo. The storm is now setting its sights to the north such as the city of Hokkaido.