Two typhoons are approaching Japan this week. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), Typhoon Jebi — also referred to as Typhoon No. 17 — is expected to approach the Ogasawara Islands at some point today. It is then forecast to come close to the Kanto region in the next couple of days. Typhoon Krathon, meanwhile — number 18 for the season — is currently in the east of the Philippines and has developed into a very large and strong typhoon. It is predicted to hit the southern island prefecture of Okinawa between Wednesday and Thursday.
Typhoon Jebi
At approximately 6 a.m. this morning, Typhoon Jebi was around 220 kilometers southwest of Chichijima. It was moving north at a speed of about 15 kilometers per hour. The central atmospheric pressure was 994 hectopascals. By 6 a.m tomorrow, it is forecast to be around 190 kilometers southeast of Hachijojima. It is expected to turn into an extratropical cyclone on Wednesday. The name Typhoon Jebi will bring back bad memories from 2018, when Japan was hit with its costliest ever typhoon in terms of insured losses. The typhoon damaged close to 98,000 houses and left nearly 3 million customers without electricity after blowing down power lines. It killed 14 people and injured 980.
Typhoon Krathon
According to the JMA, Typhoon Krathon — known as Typhoon Julian in the Philippines — was near the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines at approximately 10:10 a.m. today, moving west-northwest at a slow speed. The pressure at the center was 935 hectopascals. It is nearing the super typhoon category. Storms, heavy rain and high waves are expected around the Sakishima Islands — which include Yaeyama and Miyako — early on Wednesday. It is also forecast to hit the port city of Kaohsiung in Taiwan on the same day.
